Characterization of Flexible Solar Panels for sustainable smart solar powered apparel

Abstract

<p>This research is designed to investigate several consumer concerns about solar-powered apparel, including: (a) are they durable enough?, (b) are they washable?, and (c) are they thermally comfortable? Flexible solar panels were found to be strong enough to be incorporated into apparel. The very high elastic modulus was concerning about flexibility, which may impose design restrictions in the final products. The panels were also washable, which implies that they could be permanently attached to garments, thereby simplifying design requirements for solar-powered apparel. A clothing ensemble with a high value of thermal resistance is preferred in winter because it ensures less heat loss from the human body to the environment. The low value of the thermal insulation of the solar panels indicated that heat will not remain in the panels and overheated issue will not happen in the solar panels area.</p>