Solar Cell Fabric

Solar cell fabric is a textile engineered to generate electricity when exposed to light, made either by embedding small scale solar cells within textile yarns that are then woven into fabric, or by applying flexible photovoltaic films and coatings onto conventional textiles. Some designs use cylindrical solar cells embedded within individual fibers that are then woven together, letting the fabric harvest sunlight quietly and without interfering with the textile's normal use. Compared with rigid silicon panels these fabrics are flexible and can be stitched into clothing, and although they generally have lower efficiency than conventional solar cells, thin film and organic polymer approaches make them cheaper and faster to manufacture, suiting wearable electronics, remotely powered military equipment, and space applications, with solar powered backpacks, jackets and umbrellas already in use and battery integrated solar fibers under development.