Solar-Clothing Heats & Cools Bodily Extremes

• New solar-powered material adjusts body temperature for an optimal level in extreme heat or cold - giving you the freedom to explore colder climates or the hottest desert. Nankai University researchers have made a flexible open-face sandwich to create this revolutionary material.

Scientists have developed a new solar-powered material that rapidly adjusts body temperature to keep users at comfortable levels in extreme heat or cold. The material, made by Nankai University researchers, is like a flexible open-face sandwich. A top layer contains a flexible solar panel to convert sunlight into electrical energy and a storage module to capture excess power. The bottom layer is an electrocaloric device, a thin film that rapidly changes its properties when exposed to electricity. When exposed to electricity, it absorbs heat and lowers ambient temperature. When the electrical field is turned off, it transfers heat to the skin. In a test, the patch cooled a volunteer’s skin by 9% in seconds and maintained comfortable temperature in a range of freezing to Death Valley-level heat. The patch could be woven into everyday fashion or spacesuits to help expand human adaptation to harsh environments. Possible applications include coating vehicles or buildings as a climate control system.

What Impact Can This Solar-Powered Material Have?

• The patch could provide an effective cooling system for workers in extreme environments, including those who work in high-temperature environments and astronauts working in space.
• The patch could be used in medical treatments, such as providing relief to people with heat-related illnesses, or pain relief for those experiencing arthritis flares.
• The patch could be used to cool electronics, such as smartphones and laptops, that typically overheat in extreme temperatures.
• The patch could be used to power small electronic devices, such as fitness trackers and health monitors.
• The patch could be used to provide a continuous source of renewable energy, eliminating the need for frequent battery replacement.
• The patch could revolutionize fashion, allowing people to remain comfortable in extreme temperatures without having to resort to heavy layers of clothing.
• The patch could reduce dependence on air conditioning and other energy-intensive cooling systems, resulting in energy cost savings.