The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), in partnership with Boston-based company, Protect the Force and the University of Massachusetts Lowell, is developing a solar power charging fabric that can be worn by EMS personnel on the job.

S&T Program Manager Kimberli Jones-Holt explained the concept to EMS World: “Solar power charging fabric is a collection of woven organic photovoltaic (OPV) wires, which convert light (solar energy), into electric energy. The fabric is woven from single-filament (monofilament) threaded yarns, which are made from ultra-smooth stainless wires.” Woven Mesh Screen

Jones-Holt continued, “These wires are coated with various photoactive layers and then wrapped with a copper secondary wire and subsequently encased with an ultraviolet (UV) curable resin covering.”

To create wearable clothing, the OPV filaments (PV yarn) are woven together with Nomex yarn to make a workable fabric. Nomex is often used in protective clothing due to its ability to withstand high temperatures, flame resistance, and no-drip, no-melt qualities.

The ends of the OPV filaments are connected to electrical conductors (busbars) to collect the power generated by the resulting solar power charging fabric.

Jones-Holt told EMS World,  “The PV yarn is highly flexible and can be integrated into fabric quite easily. Thanks to those unique characteristics, PV yarn can be woven into any desirable fabric patterns such as satin or twill structures, or any other cloth conventionally used in the textile industry.”

Currently, a small swatch of solar power charging fabric, having a surface area of about 7.75 square inches, can generate 0.02 watts (20 mW) of power.

The wearable solar power module technology is still evolving, but “it could reach full maturity for use by EMS personnel and the first responder community within the next 1.5 years”.

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