Fusing Renewable Energy To Textile

From the processing of the thread or yarn to the production of cloths or textiles including its transportation, marketing, distribution and selling to prospective clients or buyers, whether through traditional brick and mortar business or online such as the Milan clothing website, each phase of the supply chain of textile industries requires a demand for energy. Because of this, for a more ecological society to thrive, converting the clothing industry to operate on renewable energy is critical since consumers today are becoming more and more concerned in what way their garments are manufactured.

To do their part in creating a sustainable society, the design and fashion industry, as well as retail enterprises, are progressively working to lessen their carbon footprint. One way to do this is utilizing renewable energy to run their day to day operations and undertakings this includes how they manufacture their products. Others on the other hand look for ways to amalgamate clothing and technology.

Is it possible for fashion to merge with technology to be able to create or sustain energy? The answer is a resounding yes. For instance, there are individuals who study the possibility of coming up with clothing that is made out of fibers that can transform solar energy into electrical energy which makes the amalgamation of fashion and technology possible.

According to Meg Grant of Solar Fiber, “If you look around you, textiles cover so many surfaces, so why not give them a ‘super power’ that can take advantage of this, like solar energy harvesting.”

To drive the limitations of textile in terms of solar energy, Meg Grant worked together with Marina Toters, Aniela Hoitink, Ralf Jacobs, and Prof. Derek Schlettwein of Giessen University.

Photovoltaic is a term used to describe the conversion of light energy to electrical energy with the utilization of semiconducting materials that display the photovoltaic effect, an occurrence that is examined in photochemistry, electrochemistry, and physics. Therefore, a fiber that is photovoltaic in nature is the concept that gave the idea of making this Solar Fiber. These fibers change sunlight to electrical energy through a yarn or thread that can be driven into all kinds of textile. A prototype, the solar shawl shows the quantity of energy being produced in actual time.