SBIR Phase I: Solar Textile

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.