Clothes for a sunny day

Thanks to ink jet technology, clothing made from solar cells is just a matter of time.

The traditional components in solar panels are silicon and glass that make them hard and heavy, limiting their use in other applications. But a recent ad on inkjet technology on ink Mylar (a polyester fabric) allows manufacturers to use solar cells in ways that were previously impossible.

Fujitsu Siemens said it took just one year to bring clothing made from solar cells into the fabric market. This is a bit like carrying a solar panel that you can attach your iPod or cellphone to when you leave home and need to recharge the battery. Or similar to the popular Solio solar charger, just tucked in behind your shirt.

Of course, you will need lots of sunshine to get the most out of them. Silicon cells typically operate at an efficiency of 18% while mylar cells top 5%.