FIST RESPONDERSComing Soon: Solar-Powering First Responders?

Fabric woven to harness solar power recently completed weaving trials. The fabric will ultimately be used to design high-functioning gear that can keep responders’ tech charged and ready.

Shining Solution
Millions of American homes are powered by solar panels, capturing light shining down from above and converting it into electricity. Solar power is a well-established energy resource with enormous potential and countless applications—perhaps limited only by our imaginations. Good thing imagination is an endlessly renewable resource for the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T).

The idea of clothing that can capture sunlight and turn it into electricity may sound like something out of science fiction, but S&T is working to make it a reality. Photovoltaic (PV) energy harvesting fabric is not only possible, but also a practical solution to a persistent challenge. First responders need light-weight power sources for their sensors, and other body-worn electronic devices. Energy harvesting fabric mitigates risk associated with relying solely on wall outlets to charge equipment. For instance, during a natural disaster and emergency response, the power grids may be compromised. The fabric also eliminates the need to carry extra batteries.

“Smart textiles are the future,” said S&T Program Manager Kimberli Jones-Holt. “This energy harvesting fabric project is incredibly innovative. I’ve been so impressed by the ingenuity of the research team and I look forward to the day that first responders are wearing and benefitting from this product.”

A Stitch in Time
The First Responder Resource Group initially identified this capability as a high-priority need, and S&T listened. The solution in development now involves creating a PV fiber that can be woven into a power fabric and then integrated onto first responder garments, shelters, and related equipment to provide reliable power for charging batteries to power electronics. The power output of the fabric will be sufficient to charge AA batteries in eight hours. This effort will provide the foundational framework towards the development of commercially viable, textile-integrated, energy-harvesting PV devices that can be tested for direct application in the field.