This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to develop a proof of principle prototype of an agile solar concentrator which would be deployable in a wide range of applications and environments. The innovation will produce a fabric module that would lead to development of a new distributed solar power technology. The fabrics are made from waveguide based concentrators to harvest solar energy and concentrate the harvested energy on the edges of the fabrics, which can then be converted to electricity.
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is on the development of a new class of truly distributed solar-energy generating devices and systems. The solar fabrics that would be developed on one hand will target applications in tents, awnings and curtains, and on the other hand will target applications in wearable products such as special clothing for hikers, biker, and soldiers. It is expected that this project will add a new opportunity for an industry, textile industry, which has been under tremendous pressure over the past few decades, to play an important role in the field of renewable energy.
Project Title SBIR Phase 1: Solar Textile During the Phase I SBIR project we have developed a proof of principle prototype for a lightweight and agile solar fabric, which would be deployable in a wide range of applications and environments. The developed technology is a new distributed solar power technology with no footprints of its own. The solar fabric can be seamlessly integrated in many products without concern about color mismatch. For example, camouflage fabrics for military application could be fabricated. The United States spends over 500 billion dollars on energy annually. Increasing energy supplies is important to support increased demand and reduced dependency on limited fuel sources. This requires appropriate planning and the ability to ensure the productive and optimal use of energy resources, while limiting environmental impact. Solar energy is considered as one of many technologies that could make a major contribution to solutions of this challenge. In addition, to sustain the viability of the US economy we need to have access to reliable energy resources as well as remaining competitive in the volume manufacturing of leading-edge technologies. Textile industry is one such example. Although the outsourcing trend shifts manufacturing to other countries, it seems unlikely that the U.S. textile industry will ever entirely cease domestic fabrication. This is because the leading edge companies derive advantage from implementing advanced technologies for their flagship products at the earliest possible time or from running nonstandard processes based on novel technologies for more advanced fabrics such a high tensile strength fabrics for composite materials required for aerospace industry or bio-fabrics for drug delivery. As mentioned, a major contributing factor to keeping a part of this industry in the U.S. is a constant innovation and development of the most advanced technologies for manufacturing and development of new materials. The result of our research and development during this Phase I SBIR program addresses some major challenges in the area of energy supplies and distribution as well as enables a traditional sector of manufacturing to play an important part in the new energy economy. The technology developed during this Phase 1 SBIR grant enables portable, flexible, light weight energy source based on a new concept of energy fabrics. Widespread use of small and portable photovoltaic modules to charge many consumer products will reduce load from the electric grids. The major bottleneck for these small modules finding widespread market is their price tags. At the same time implementation of such a technology may be aesthetically not appealing. A technology platform with the ability to address diverse demands and agility to take various shapes and forms as demanded by applications has not yet been demonstrated. If such a technology had the advantage of lowering price barriers it would find a major role in production of electrical energy. The new yarn designs developed during the course of this project have significant potential to change a tradition industry, textile industry, into a 21 century energy frontier industry. It is anticipated that our project will make a significant impact in this industry. Our work has major impacts on the energy production, increases U.S. competitiveness in the renewable energy technology and will create jobs in the U.S.
