Wearable solar panels introduced

As preparations for the 2025 World Expo continue in Osaka, Japan, workers are coping with the hot weather with a striking innovation: solar-powered cooling vests.

The ultra-thin and flexible solar panels on the vests weigh only 4 grams and are integrated with wearable technology to power fans placed in the neck area.

The vests were produced in collaboration with Toyota Group company Toyoda Gosei, solar panel startup Enecoat Technologies and textile manufacturer Seiren.

The panels used in the vests are made of crystals called perovskite, unlike classic silicon solar panels. Thanks to this technology, the panels are much lighter, more flexible and can work even in low light. It is even possible to produce energy in cloudy and shady weather.

In a laboratory environment, these panels operate at 21.2 percent efficiency. They are being tested in real-world conditions at the Expo 2025 site and daily performance data is being collected.

One of the biggest advantages of perovskite cells is that they can work in low light. Tamotsu Horiuchi, CTO of Enecoat Technologies, emphasizes that these panels can produce energy even with LED and fluorescent light. They can also be used on surfaces that cannot support heavy silicon panels, such as roofs.

Not only wearable technology is being showcased at the Expo site, but perovskite panels are also being showcased in a variety of applications, including curved smart poles, the roof of a bus terminal, and the artistic exterior of the Panasonic pavilion.

Despite all these advantages, there are two major obstacles to commercial use of perovskites:

Short lifespan: They are more sensitive to sun, moisture and UV rays compared to silicon panels.

Lead content: Toxic lead is used in some types of panels, but the risk of leaching is low.

Scientists are working on protective glass layers, additives and new manufacturing techniques to solve these problems. Dr. Hashini Perera from the University of Surrey in England explained that in her latest research, they have developed a method that could increase the life of the panel by up to 10 times.

Japan aims to generate 20 gigawatts of solar power by 2040. That's equivalent to the capacity of about 20 nuclear power plants.

The ability to install perovskite panels in urban areas could make cities more efficient by ensuring that energy is consumed where it is produced.

According to Horiuchi, this technology could be used as an energy source in wearable devices, from smartwatches to phones, in the future.

CNN International