Solar Electrical Power from Fabrics?

By Paolo von Schirach

How about a tent that produces the electricity necessary to satisfy the needs of campers or field hospitals? Pvilion, a U.S. company based in Brooklyn, New York, can make them for you, following your specifications in terms of size and preferred material. Is this the new frontier of solar energy applications?

When we think about renewable energy, we generally think wind and solar. These days, solar panels are very popular. We can have a large number of them, arranged in rows, and this becomes a large solar power plant connected to the electric grid that can supply enough electricity to satisfy the power needs of thousands of homes. Or we can have some panels on the rooftops of individual structures, commercial buildings, or homes, that will satisfy the electricity needs of those buildings.

Because of significant cost reductions in the manufacturing of solar panels, in the last few years, prices for solar have plummeted worldwide. Hence, a huge demand increase. Along with the rest of the world, in the U.S., there has been an explosion of demand for solar panels, especially in California, the U.S. state traditionally in the lead when it comes to adopting innovative, renewable energy solutions.

But now we see that in the U.S., demand has peaked. While the market is still good, there is far less enthusiasm for solar. In part, this has to do with cost. While costs have come down, now the big savings in the U.S. are gone.

And here are some reasons. Most solar panels are imported from China, by far the largest world producer (about 80 percent of total supplies). U.S. providers now want to rely more on U.S.-made panels. However, these panels cost more because the U.S. industrial base for solar is much smaller. Therefore, no economies of scale. And then customers now have to deal with higher installation costs. Besides, the generous schemes whereby utilities in the past paid good prices for excess electricity supplied to them by individual households equipped with solar panels have been phased out. Therefore, while overall the cost of panels is down, the huge economic advantages that existed until recently now have largely disappeared.

Another drawback with these conventional solar panels is that they are rigid structures, therefore not easily adjustable to the specific needs of individual customers, while other needs could not be met at all.

Enter Pvilion. This company has come up with innovations that make solar more appealing for buyers who need customized products. Working with specialists who have optimized the design of various types of tents and coverings, large and small, Pvilion developed a technology to embed solar panels into various fabrics.

This way, one can have tents and coverings with solar energy generation embedded in them that can be easily folded and transported, just like regular tents. With this innovation, new markets for solar power can be opened and developed. Think of tents and other movable structures used by the military in remote areas, field hospitals in battle zones, or first responders supplying people stranded by hurricanes or floods.

Now all of these entities can pack tents with embedded solar panels that can be folded, unfolded, and set up on-site, without the need to transport clunky solar panels to provide power to the camps. Likewise, no need to transport heavy generators and all the fuel necessary to power them. With solar-powered tents, first responders or expeditionary military forces can have the power supply they need without adding the weight and inconvenience of loading up extra equipment.

The same value proposition applies to the organizers of major events, such as big concerts. Instead of carrying heavy generators for lights and electronic instruments and all the fuel necessary to power them, the whole power supply will be in the canvas of the movable tents or coverings that will have to be carried anyway to provide enclosed spaces for the events.

Thanks to Pvilion’s customized products, these end-users can have at the same time tents, canopies, shelter structures, and power generation. By recognizing these new markets, Pvilion has broadened the potential customer base for solar energy solutions.

Paolo von Schirach is the President of the Global Policy Institute, a Washington DC think tank, and Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Bay Atlantic University, also in Washington, DC. He is also the Editor of the Schirach Report.

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