Solar Textiles: The Flexible Solution for Solar Power (Textile Institute Professional Publications)

Description

Most photovoltaic (PV) installations utilise heavy conventional glass or polycarbonate panels, and even newly developed thin plastic or metal films for PV cell use may fracture during both construction and application. Textile fabrics, the most widespread flexible materials in everyday use, offer a solution to the need for lightweight, flexible solar PV generators. Solar Textiles: The Flexible Solution for Solar Power is about the incorporation and operation of solar cells on textile fabrics. The combination of textile manufacturing and solar PV cell technology opens up further avenues for both the textile and semiconductor industries. Thus, this book reflects the progressively increasing commercial interest in PV cell technology and the versatility that their integration in textiles provides. Discusses textiles as electrical substrates Explains the photovoltaic effect and associated parameters Offers special consideration of solar cells on textiles Compares fibres and fabrics and how to implement PV activity on a textile Describes manufacturing methods outside of semiconductor technology Includes applications open only to textiles This work is aimed at textile technologists, electronic engineers, solar technologists, civil engineers and designers in building fabrics and architecture. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Textile Institute Professional Publications Acknowledgements Authors Chapter 1 The Versatility of Textile Fabrics Chapter 2 The Photovoltaic Effect and How It Is Used 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Light into Electricity 2.3 The Photovoltaic Effect 2.4 Solar Cell Parameters 2.5 Solar Cell Materials 2.6 Constraints on Choices for Flexible PV Chapter 3 Constructions of Textile Fabrics 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Properties of Textile Fibres 3.3 Fabric Constructions 3.3.1 Woven Fabrics 3.3.2 Knitted Fabrics 3.3.3 Embroidery 3.3.4 Non-Woven Fabrics 3.4 Some Concluding Remarks References Chapter 4 Strategies for Achieving Electrically Conducting Textile Fabrics 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Conducting Yarns 4.3 Conducting Fabrics 4.4 Some Concluding Remarks References Chapter 5 Enabling Textile Fabrics to Become Photovoltaically Active 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Alternative Strategies 5.2.1 Attaching Cells to a Fabric 5.2.2 Forming PV Fibres into a Fabric 5.2.3 Direct Coating of PV Cells onto a Fabric 5.3 Conclusion References Chapter 6 Technological and Design Specifications 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Optical Absorption 6.3 Temperature Effects 6.4 Mechanical Considerations 6.5 Washability 6.6 Safety Aspects 6.7 Conclusions References Chapter 7 Manufacturing: Moving from Laboratory to Production 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Challenges for Textile Coating 7.3 Coating Options for Flexible PV 7.4 Environmental Impact 7.4.1 Energy Payback Time 7.4.2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions 7.4.3 Decommissioning References Chapter 8 Applications of Solar Textile Fabrics 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Clothing 8.3 Tents and Canopies 8.4 Tarpaulins 8.5 Architecture 8.6 Agriculture 8.7 Sailing 8.8 Airships 8.9 Aesthetic Aspects 8.10 Some Concluding Remarks References Chapter 9 The Outlook for Solar Textiles 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Electrical Storage 9.3 Flexible Electrical Storage with Flexible PV 9.4 Flexible Energy Harvesting Combinations 9.5 Integrated Systems with Sensors and Energy Provision 9.6 Concluding Remarks References Index