Design and Structural Analysis of a Solar-Panel Mounting System for an Electric Scooter

This thesis reports the complete design, structural verification, commercial evaluation and life-cycle assessment of a rear-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) canopy retrofit for the Gogoro S1 Performance electric scooter, operating under Bahraini conditions. The work follows the EN8914 four-phase methodology and addresses a dual-purpose value proposition: auxiliary solar charging of the traction battery and passive rider sun-protection in a single lightweight assembly. A 6061-T6 aluminum dual-column rear frame supports a 100 W flexible monocrystalline panel regulated by a Victron smart Solar MPPT 75/10 controller into the 60 V DC traction bus. Two independent structural verification layers — closed-form analytical theory (Euler–Bernoulli bending, transverse shear, double-integration deflection, Euler buckling and the von Mises criterion) and linear-static SolidWorks finite-element analysis — both return a minimum factor of safety of 18, nine times the SMART target of 2.0; the peak von Mises stress agrees between the two methods within ±7 %. The realistic photovoltaic generation under the Bahraini solar resource of 5.92 kWh m⁻² day⁻¹ is 387 Wh day⁻¹ after a six-factor de-rating chain (𝜂𝑠𝑦𝑠= 0.645), corresponding to a 29.3 % solar fraction against the 1,320 Wh day⁻¹ daily scooter demand and an extra 3,720 km of annual range. The parasitic mass is 4.6 kg, below the 5.0 kg dynamic-stability ceiling. A GCC-verified Bill of Materials totaling BHD 117.50 yields a CAPEX of BHD 142, a recommended retail price of BHD 215, a 6.5-year discounted payback, an Internal Rate of Return of 9.2 % and a Net Present Value of +BHD 85 per kit under a 4 % real discount rate and the 2026 Electricity and Water Authority tariff of 32 fills kWh⁻¹. The screening Life-Cycle Assessment, performed in accordance with ISO 14040 / 14044 and populated from coinvent v3, reports a cradle-to-grave embodied footprint of 147 kg CO₂-eq, a carbon-payback time of 5.3 years and a net 10-year balance of −133 kg CO₂-eq. The project advances five United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 7, 9, 11, 12, 13) and contributes to all three pillars of Bahrain Economic Vision 2030. All five SMART objectives are met or exceeded by margins ranging from 1.2× (commercial payback) to more than 9× (structural factor of safety).