Designers at Colorado State University at work in designing and developing solar-powered clothes from natural fibers that holds the ability to charge a variety of devices, including phones, tablets, and GPS units. Professor Eulanda Sanders and associate professor Ajoy Sarkar in CSU's department of design and merchandising, as well as four of their students, are making prototypes for solar-charging apparel that can be worn while biking, snowboarding, skiing or hiking.
Clothing with solar panels have been done before so the concept of it is not amazing as it was perceived before, but they usually rely on petroleum-based materials rather than natural fibers. A prime example would be seen in California-based Silvrlining's GO Solar Power Collection, which puts solar power into microsuede clothing. While certainly looking fashionable, the director's jacket alone amounts to a total of $1,180.
Instead of the traditional standard of making clothing relying on petroleum-based materials, Sanders and Sarkar have the desire to produce clothes from cotton and linen that are safe and strong enough to handle the elements. According to the university, the group was able to modify natural materials to make them more durable. From that procedure, they continue on to incorporating flexible solar panels within the apparel. Their goal with these greener clothes is ultimately to make solar clothing not only comfortable and fashionable, but also to be highly functional and easy to clean.
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