.jpg)
The start of a new term is busy enough without discovering that your school minibus won’t start.
During term time, minibuses can be constantly on the move, taking pupils and students to sports fixtures, educational visits and other activities. Then the holidays arrive and they can spend several weeks parked up.
That change in use can create a problem that’s easy to overlook: the battery.
Even when your minibus is switched off, onboard electronics and other systems can continue drawing small amounts of power. Combined with the battery’s natural discharge, several weeks without regular journeys can leave it with insufficient charge when it’s time to get back on the road.
Putting daylight to work
To help tackle the problem, Minibus Jurni has partnered with vehicle solar specialists Genie Insights and RS Connect, Genie’s preferred installation partner, to bring solar battery support to schools, colleges and universities.
The solution uses a lightweight, flexible solar panel bonded discreetly to a prepared area of the minibus roof.
It captures energy from available daylight and, through a charge controller, uses that energy to provide supplementary charge to the vehicle’s 12V battery while the minibus is parked.
And it doesn’t need bright sunshine to work.
The technology is designed to continue generating energy in cloudy and lower-light conditions, making it well suited to the UK and those long periods when your minibus might be standing unused.
Once installed, there’s nothing to switch on and nothing for the driver to remember.
It simply works in the background.
Designed for vehicles, not rooftops
If you’re picturing a large, rigid glass solar panel sitting on top of your minibus, think again.
The ultra-thin panel uses advanced CIGS (Copper Indium Gallium Selenide) solar technology. At just 3mm thick when bonded, it is lightweight, flexible and glass-free, creating a discreet, low-profile installation on the minibus roof.
The bonded panel doesn’t require a mounting frame or conventional mechanical fixings through the roof.
The result is a discreet solution designed for vehicles that helps maintain battery charge during extended periods off the road, reducing the risk of battery-related downtime and the need to periodically run the minibus simply to maintain its battery.
Why solar makes sense for school minibuses
School minibuses have a very different operating pattern from most vehicles.
During term time, regular journeys help recharge the battery. But at Christmas, Easter and particularly over the long summer break, that regular charging can suddenly stop for weeks.
For a school, college or university, the consequences of a flat battery can be more than an inconvenience. A minibus is there because people are relying on it, often at a particular time and for a particular journey.
As Duncan Fitzgerald, Chief Operating Officer at Jurni Leasing, explains:
“The last thing a school needs at the start of term is a minibus that won’t start when pupils are waiting to go to a fixture or school trip.
“We specialise in supporting education customers throughout the life of their minibuses, so we’re always looking for practical ways to improve reliability and reduce disruption. This is a simple preventive solution to a very real problem.”
Proven solar technology
While solar battery support is new to Minibus Jurni, the technology is already proven across thousands of commercial vehicles.
Genie Insights has deployed around 15,000 solar panels across commercial vehicle applications, including vans, trucks and refrigerated trailers, using solar technology to support vehicle batteries and onboard electrical systems.
Installation for Jurni customers will be carried out by RS Connect, Genie Insights’ preferred installation partner, providing specialist mobile installation capability across the UK.
How can I add solar to my school minibus?
There are several ways to add solar battery support to your minibus.
Choosing a new minibus?
Solar battery support can be specified as an option on a suitable new Jurni minibus lease and incorporated into your vehicle package.
Already lease with Jurni?
You don’t need to wait for your next minibus. Existing Jurni customers can ask us about retrofitting solar battery support to a suitable vehicle already in service.
Looking to buy used?
Solar battery support is also available as an option on suitable quality-assured used minibuses from Preloved Jurni.
Keep your minibus ready for the next journey
Solar battery support offers a simple way to help maintain your minibus battery during quieter periods, using available daylight and requiring no change in normal driver behaviour.
Whether you’re choosing a new minibus or already lease with Jurni, speak to our specialist Minibus team about adding solar battery support.
Your minibus rests. Solar keeps working.
.png)
