Solar powered jacket
1 min read
The Solar JKT from Italian company Zegna Sport features the iSolarX wearable solar technology platform, developed by Interactive Wear and its technology partner SOLARC.
According to the companies, this technology enables the easy and convenient integration of solar cells together with their associated leads and miniaturised charging electronics into apparel and accessories.
The iSolarX solar technology platform is made up of three functional elements: the solar modules; the textile integration kit; and the charging electronics.
In the basic configuration, two small monocrystalline or polycrystalline solar modules generate up to 1W in direct sunlight. Other form factors, as well as flexible or semi flexible solar modules, are available but require about twice the surface area for a comparable charging power.
The charging electronics have been developed to convert the varying power output of the solar modules efficiently into a stable power supply with a stable, adjustable output voltage. A maximum input voltage of 10V and a maximum input current of 1A yields an output power of a maximum of 1.5W. Output voltage can be set to either 5V, for USB devices, or 6V for mobile phones. Li-ion rechargeable batteries are used for temporary energy storage.