Solar-Powered Curtains Capture Sunlight
Architect and MIT professor in practice Shelia Kennedy has developed a type of “solar textile” that can be used to create solar-powered curtains. These curtains would capture sunlight during the day and use it to help power the home.
Her company, Kennedy & Violich Architecture is using thin-film photovoltaic material. This is integrated into a fabric that moves like a curtain but does the job of a traditional glass-based solar panel. While not quite as efficient as traditional solar panels at this point, Kennedy predicts that efficiencies in thin-film technology will increase with further research and will soon be on par with glass-based panels.
Kennedy refers to her product as “soft power.” The curtains have rechargable batteries integrated into the hem that can be used to transfer power back to the home at night. She envisions that homes will soon be able to incorporate these curtains and other energy-generating technologies. Single homeowners or groups of neighbors will be able to work together to wean themselves off the grid and increase self-sufficiency.
