Solar Energy Chic: Innovative Wearable Solar Panel from Chinese Scientists

Wearable Energy Sources

A research team from Nankai University in Tianjin, China, has developed wearable solar panels that take the use of solar energy to a personal dimension. Flexible panels that can regulate body temperature for high and low temperatures expand the boundaries of clothing technology.

In a study published in the journal Science, scientists stated that the solar panel they developed has significant advantages compared to other models. Usually such heating devices or cooling systems have only one feature, but this wearable solar panel allows for both heating and cooling functions.

The developed wearable solar panel contains an electrocaloric component that regulates body temperature. In this way, the device can control body temperature as soon as it is worn. The electrocaloric component heats the panel by generating heat when it is operating, and helps cool the device when it is not operating.

The wearable solar panel attracts attention with its ability to operate 24 hours a day. The panel, which has low energy consumption, works with a mechanism that transmits the energy obtained from the sun to the electrocaloric component. The increased energy is stored by the device and can be used when there is no daylight.

Flexible polymer solar cells are used for the battery of the solar panel. In this way, the wearable solar panel has a light and portable structure. It may take some time for the device, which is still in the trial phase, to be suitable for daily use, but it is expected to be used in technical clothing in the first stage.

With their flexible structure and heating/cooling features, these panels can allow us to explore new and diverse areas of solar energy use. In the first place, it may be possible to use these innovative panels in many different areas, from technical workers working in harsh conditions to astronaut suits and extreme sports clothing.

nankai.edu.cn

Note:
What is the electrocaloric component?

An electrocaloric component is a special type of component that has the ability of a material to heat or cool under an electric field. This component can cause changes in the molecular arrangement of the material in which it is contained when an electric field is applied. The electrocaloric effect occurs as heating or cooling as a result of these molecular order changes.

The electrocaloric effect is based on the change of the dielectric properties in the internal structure of a material by the effect of an electric field. When an electric field is applied, the alignment or change of dipole molecules within the material causes temperature changes.

The electrocaloric component in the developed wearable solar panel works sensitively to body temperature and regulates the temperature of the worn device. In this way, the panel can provide heating or cooling to increase user comfort.