Solar powered vehicle topper unit

A method for operating a display assembly at least partially from solar power, said method comprising the steps of:

• securing a solar panel at an elevated position above a housing comprising an electronic display;
• electrically connecting said solar panel to said electronic display;
• electrically connecting said display assembly to an external power source;
• electrically interposing a controller between said battery and said electronic display, and dynamically:
• determining a power requirement for operations of the display assembly;
• determining an amount of power available from the solar panel;
• in each of at least one instance where the power available from the solar panel meets or exceeds the power requirement and supplying the display assembly exclusively with the power available from said solar panel over power available from the external power source;
• and
• in each of at least one instance where the power available from the solar panel is less than the power requirement for operations of the display assembly supplying the display assembly with the power available from the solar panel and simultaneously supplementing the power from said solar panel with additional power from the external power source to at least meet the power requirement for operations of the display assembly.

A system for operating an electronic display assembly which is at least partially solar powered, said system comprising:

• an electronic display;
• a housing for said electronic display;
• a solar energy harvesting device electrically connected to said electronic display;
• an alternative power source electrically connected to said electronic display;
• and
• a controller interposed between said alternative power source, said solar energy harvesting device, and said electronic display, wherein said controller comprises one or more processors and one or more electronic storage devices comprising executable software instructions, which when executed by said one or more processors, configures said one or more processors to on an ongoing basis:
• supply all operating power for the electronic display assembly from the solar energy harvesting device;
• where the power available from the solar energy harvesting device falls below the power requirement:
• supply the power available from the solar energy harvesting device as a first portion of the operating power for the electronic display assembly;
• and
• supply supplemental power from the external power source as a second portion of the operating power for the electronic display assembly to at least meet the power requirement such that the operational power is supplied by both the solar energy harvesting device and the alternative power source together at a given instance of time.