Feb. 18, 2005 — Konarka Technologies Inc., a developer of “power plastics” that convert light to energy, announced it is developing photovoltaic fabric with Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne.
The collaboration is expected to yield the first fully integrated woven photovoltaic material, according to a Konarka release. The material is intended to allow for tighter integration of power generation capabilities into devices, systems and structures beyond what is possible with plastic film.
“Photovoltaic textiles could positively increase the number of applications available to solar technology by extending integration to objects made from fabrics, such as garments, tents or coverings,” said Daniel Patrick McGahn, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Konarka. “We’ll be able to offer to the marketplace practical new products, such as wearable power generation for mobile electronics made from the solar fabric.”