Architecture New York State Magazine | December 2024 | Robert Lerner
AIA New York State recently shared an article about photovoltaic tensile structures by Pvilion co-founder, Robert Lerner, in the December issue of Architecture New York State Magazine.
To view the full December issue of Architecture New York State Magazine, click here.
December 2024
In recent weeks, Pvilion team members visited USAFE at Spangdahlem AFB in Germany to install Pvilion SPIS on aircraft hangars.
The solar power generated will be used to power the entire hangar, including the structure’s hydraulic doors. The SPIS fabric can be easily removed, packed up, and used for mobile applications when needed.
This application of Pvilion’s Solar Powered Fabric provides a uniquely flexible solution for large industrial buildings in a variety of settings.
Hangars, warehouses, agricultural facilities, and all other large industrial structures can use Pvilion Solar Powered Fabric to retroactively use lightweight solar power, regardless of the building’s shape.
Pvilion’s patented solar technology is integrated with thin, flexible, lightweight solar panels. It is designed to be waterproof, fire-retardant, UV-resistant, and durable enough to withstand extreme wind loads and weather conditions. It can be added to existing temporary or permanent structures like this aircraft hangar.
To watch the video about this project, click here.
By: Paolo von Schirach
How about a tent that produces the electricity necessary to satisfy the needs of campers or field hospitals? Pvilion, a U.S. company based in Brooklyn, New York, can make them for you, following your specifications in terms of size and preferred material. Is this the new frontier of solar energy applications?
When we think about renewable energy, we generally think wind and solar. These days, solar panels are very popular. We can have a large number of them, arranged in rows, and this becomes a large solar power plant connected to the electric grid that can supply enough electricity to satisfy the power needs of thousands of homes. Or we can have some panels on the rooftops of individual structures, commercial buildings, or homes, that will satisfy the electricity needs of those buildings.
Because of significant cost reductions in the manufacturing of solar panels, in the last few years, prices for solar have plummeted worldwide. Hence, a huge demand increase. Along with the rest of the world, in the U.S., there has been an explosion of demand for solar panels, especially in California, the U.S. state traditionally in the lead when it comes to adopting innovative, renewable energy solutions.
But now we see that in the U.S., demand has peaked. While the market is still good, there is far less enthusiasm for solar. In part, this has to do with cost. While costs have come down, now the big savings in the U.S. are gone.
And here are some reasons. Most solar panels are imported from China, by far the largest world producer (about 80 percent of total supplies). U.S. providers now want to rely more on U.S.-made panels. However, these panels cost more because the U.S. industrial base for solar is much smaller. Therefore, no economies of scale. And then customers now have to deal with higher installation costs. Besides, the generous schemes whereby utilities in the past paid good prices for excess electricity supplied to them by individual households equipped with solar panels have been phased out. Therefore, while overall the cost of panels is down, the huge economic advantages that existed until recently now have largely disappeared.
Another drawback with these conventional solar panels is that they are rigid structures, therefore not easily adjustable to the specific needs of individual customers, while other needs could not be met at all.
Enter Pvilion. This company has come up with innovations that make solar more appealing for buyers who need customized products. Working with specialists who have optimized the design of various types of tents and coverings, large and small, Pvilion developed a technology to embed solar panels into various fabrics.
This way, one can have tents and coverings with solar energy generation embedded in them that can be easily folded and transported, just like regular tents. With this innovation, new markets for solar power can be opened and developed. Think of tents and other movable structures used by the military in remote areas, field hospitals in battle zones, or first responders supplying people stranded by hurricanes or floods.
Now all of these entities can pack tents with embedded solar panels that can be folded, unfolded, and set up on-site, without the need to transport clunky solar panels to provide power to the camps. Likewise, no need to transport heavy generators and all the fuel necessary to power them. With solar-powered tents, first responders or expeditionary military forces can have the power supply they need without adding the weight and inconvenience of loading up extra equipment.
The same value proposition applies to the organizers of major events, such as big concerts. Instead of carrying heavy generators for lights and electronic instruments and all the fuel necessary to power them, the whole power supply will be in the canvas of the movable tents or coverings that will have to be carried anyway to provide enclosed spaces for the events.
Thanks to Pvilion’s customized products, these end-users can have at the same time tents, canopies, shelter structures, and power generation. By recognizing these new markets, Pvilion has broadened the potential customer base for solar energy solutions.
Original Source: https://globalpi.org/research/solar-electrical-power-from-fabrics/.
For more than 75 years, the International Achievement Awards (IAA) recognize outstanding and innovative projects representing the latest accomplishments in design and manufacture incorporating specialty fabrics. The 46-category competition, sponsored by ATA (formerly known as IFAI) since 1946, is an excellent opportunity for ATA members and non-members to display work, gain professional recognition and become distinguished on an international level.
The IAA’s have recognized technical skill and design excellence in projects across the industry that incorporate specialty fabrics into their design. Entries are judged by industry experts and design professionals who are individually selected for their expertise in a particular field of study or product area. All projects entered are automatically listed in the IAA online gallery which is promoted year-round. Grow your brand, showcase your talent, and get the recognition you deserve! To view the IAA website, click here.
To view the original award listing, click here.
Features | October 1, 2024 | By: Debra Cobb
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the amount of renewable capacity added to energy systems around the world grew by 50% in 2023, reaching almost 510 gigawatts (GW), with solar/photovoltaic accounting for three-quarters of additions worldwide.
The IEA forecasts that U.S. solar power generation will grow 75% from 163 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) in 2023 to 286 billion kWh in 2025. The agency also expects wind power generation to grow 11% from 430 billion kWh in 2023 to 476 billion kWh in 2025. Hydrogen power and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) are also poised for growth.
The economic opportunities the generation of alternative energy provides—requiring new facilities, new materials and a wide range of feedstocks—could likewise fuel the growth of innovative technical textiles. Seen and unseen, these critical components include unique polymers, composites, membranes and filters as well as performance textiles for wind and solar that are lighter, stronger and often recyclable.
Recent developments in lightweight, super-thin, flexible photovoltaics have enabled the solarization of fabrics, expanding the potential range of energy-producing form factors. Brooklyn, N.Y.-based company Pvilion laminates its solar cells to various textiles to create a range of canopies, tents, curtains, building facades, backpacks and clothing. “Once you have the panel, you can turn it into anything,” says Colin Touhey, company co-founder and CEO.
Pvilion’s advantage is in its systems that provide both shelter and power in one structure to partners such as Carnegie Hall, Bloomberg, Tishman Speyer, New York City, Yale University, the U.S. Air Force, the Florida Department of Transportation and the city of Miami.
“Solar fabrics are getting better and better,” Touhey says. He explains that the company is agnostic regarding substrates, focusing instead on durability and longevity. Pvilion creates solar fabrics from ripstop nylon, PVC-coated polyester, polytetrafluoroethylene-coated fiberglass, Dyneema®, and sometimes stretch substrates.
“We are more and more trying to build a line of finished products, as mass production is the goal for price,” says Touhey. “But we are happy to work with people who have a small volume. Being a solar power company doesn’t mean anything if it doesn’t fit into the customer’s requirements.”
Scottish startup ACT Blade is working with an innovative fabric and specialized modular manufacturing system for turbine blades. The new blades are longer without increased weight and comprise fewer materials and simpler, streamlined production methods. They feature a slender supporting structure made from a composite material that the technical textile completely covers.
Concordia Textiles Group, based in Waregem, Belgium, manufactures the protective outer shell for the wind turbine blades. The fabric is reparable and is composed of elements that can be easily separated for recycling at end of life.
“We developed a laminate that is the common denominator of more than 20 technical requirements by combining the strength and elasticity of a fabric with a protective layer,” says Rik Gekiere, Concordia’s sales and product manager. “Rain-erosion resistance and durability over time were the most challenging to achieve.”
Enel Green Power, an Italian multinational renewable-energy corporation, is partnering with ACT Blade to develop the project. A wind technology called OceanWings®, patented by VPLP Design in France, is said to enable a 45% savings in fuel consumption and a subsequent reduction in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions for sailing vessels. The vertical windsails provide aerodynamic lift and feature automated positioning to maximize thrust.
OceanWings are made from eco-composites that include linen fiber and recycled thermoplastic resins. The outer bag is 1,000-denier nylon with a layer of urethane to protect against punctures and abrasion.
The sails were first trialed in 2019 on the Energy Observer, an experimental vessel designed to test alternative energy sources in maritime conditions. In 2022, a commercial wind-powered cargo ship, the Canopeé, launched with four OceanWings that reduce
fuel consumption by up to 42% in good weather conditions.
The World Economic Forum defines green hydrogen as hydrogen produced through electrolysis, using renewable electricity from solar or wind to split water into two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. Green hydrogen can be used to decarbonize transportation, including heavy trucks, aviation and shipping, as well as in the manufacturing of steel, cement and other hard-to-abate industries.
At the heart of the green hydrogen process are proton exchange membranes, or PEMs. These membranes play a vital role in hydrogen production, fuel cells and flow batteries for energy storage. The company Chemours™, based in Wilmington, Del., dominates this market with its Nafion™ brand portfolio of membranes, dispersions and resins.
Nafion is a synthetic polymer with unique ionic properties, created by incorporating perfluorovinyl ether groups terminated with sulfonate groups onto a PTFE backbone. The resulting product is a thermoplastic that can be extruded or solution-cast into films for composite membranes.
In response to a request for information, Nafion portfolio’s product manager referred to a paper published by Chemours’ technical team: “Advancements in Thin, Reinforced Proton Exchange Membranes for Water Electrolysis” by Ryan Gebhardt and others.
“Employing a thinner and mechanically supported membrane can enhance both the electrochemical performance and mechanical properties. With the demand for cheaper hydrogen, these new membrane designs are needed to achieve advanced performance metrics,” the paper states.
While the green hydrogen economy is still in its infancy, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced $750 million, funded by the 2022 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, for 52 projects across 24 states to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen. According to the DOE, clean hydrogen is set to play a vital role in reducing emissions from the most energy-intensive and polluting sectors of the economy.
For example, Airbus is testing the use of hydrogen fuel cells to generate electricity to power aircraft that fly with almost zero emissions. Airbus’ ZEROe project hopes to bring the world’s first hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft to market by 2035. Flight testing of the fuel-cell propulsion system on an Airbus 380 is scheduled for 2026.
The airline industry uses about 20 billion gallons of jet fuel every year, and globally, aviation accounts for 2% of all CO2e and 12% of CO2e from transportation, according to the DOE. Sustainable aviation fuel reduces emissions from air transportation, and when blended with conventional aviation fuel, is compatible with today’s aircraft and infrastructure. Depending on the feedstock and blend, SAF can reduce aviation’s CO2e by up to 80%.
There are several pathways to making SAF, based on various feedstocks. These include sustainably sourced renewable waste such as cooking oil and animal fat; biomass such as agricultural and forest wastes and solid municipal wastes; and power-to-liquid SAF made from captured CO2.
“Sustainable Energy Generation From Textile Biowaste and Its Challenges,” a paper published in 2022 by Shahjalal Khandaker, Ph.D., and others reports that waste from the textile industry could also be a significant source of biomass for fuel.
LanzaJet, a sustainable-fuels technology company spun out of LanzaTech in 2020, converts ethanol to SAF from any source of low-carbon ethanol, including biomass, industrial waste, municipal solid waste and CO2. The company’s recently opened Freedom Pines facility in Soperton, Ga., supported by the DOE’s Bioenergy Technology Office, will produce 9 million gallons of SAF and 1 million gallons of renewable diesel in its first year of operation.
LanzaJet and Tadweer (Abu Dhabi Waste Management Company) are cooperating on a feasibility study to initiate SAF production from municipal and commercial solid waste. The hope is that up to 350,000 metric tons (385,809 U.S. tons) of hard-to-recycle municipal and commercial solid waste can be transformed into 200,000 metric tons (220,462 U.S. tons) of ethanol per year.
Renewable energy is a growth industry, accounting for 90% of all new electricity installed worldwide each year. While it’s the early days, there are opportunities for the textile industry to be involved.
A company called Energy Dome, based in Milan, Italy, has developed a thermodynamic method of long-duration energy storage in a “battery” that uses CO2 stored in a huge fabric dome, like a balloon, made of PVC-coated polyester. Energy from a local grid or nearby solar farm compresses the CO2 into a liquid during the day. At night, the liquid CO2 expands back into gas, driving a turbine that produces electricity and sends it back to the grid.
Energy Dome has its first U.S. installation planned for 2026 in Columbia County, Wisc., with Alliant Energy, and it has recently opened an office in Boston with a “growing ambition to decarbonize the world with our CO2 Battery™ technology.”
Debra Cobb is a freelance writer with expertise in the textiles industry. She is based in North Carolina.
To view the original article from Fabric Architecture Magazine, click here.
September 6, 2024
The amount of electricity generated by solar panels has surged over the last decade. But while rooftop solar panels are more common than ever, the balance of solar-power generation has shifted from power systems on individual homes to large-scale commercial arrays used by utilities. WSJ’s Danny Lewis sits down with energy and climate reporter Phred Dvorak and Pvilion CEO Colin Touhey to talk about the future of home solar, and the new role it might play in the power grid.
What will the future look like? The Future of Everything offers a view of the nascent trends that will shape our world. In every episode, join our award-winning team on a new journey of discovery. We’ll take you beyond what’s already out there, and make you smarter about the scientific and technological breakthroughs on the horizon that could transform our lives for the better.
To view this podcast on on the WSJ Podcast website, click here.
August 2024
QUAD POLE SOLAR SAIL
Brooklyn-based Pvilion integrates solar cells into patented PVC-coated polyester fabric, allowing the fabric to generate electricity. The large-scale Quad Pole Solar Sail offers both shade and power for large spaces, providing lightweight, low-energy-output shelter. It offers temporary, semipermanent, or permanent installation options. The solar fabric produces clean energy, powering devices via integrated outlets, and is supported by a powder-coated steel frame.
August 5, 2024
To kick off Season 2 of CleanTalk, Director-Producer Luke Harmer joins Colin Touhey, CEO and founder of Pvilion, for a discussion all about the integration of solar PV cells into fabrics. With a background in electrical engineering in the tent design space, Colin enlightens CleanTalk on how starting out in-house for another organization provided opportunities to get a new commercial offering off the ground with a wealth of resources at his fingertips.
CleanTalk is produced by Harmer Visuals, a corporate film production company specialising in data-driven storytelling for companies across renewable energy value chains. To find out more about how we can help you, visit: www.harmervisuals.com.
To view this podcast on YouTube, click here.
As Awarded by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design.
Pvilion has designed, engineered, fabricated, and installed a custom solar fabric membrane with rainwater capture located atop a heavy timber frame structure built by the La Plaza Cultural de Armando Perez Community Garden in lower Manhattan. The system includes energy storage, a device charging station, AC power for lights, fans or to power speakers and amplifiers for live music events, a graphic dashboard display showing performance of the system, and 1500 Watts of solar panels.
On an average day, the solar array can produce about 7kWh. The 10’ x 20’ structure acts as a social hub for community events and shelter for gardeners and guests. With the addition of solar power, the community garden now has the ability to provide amenities for the guests and users of the garden.
Pvilion’s patented solar technology offers a flexible solution in place of regular fabric, where traditional heavy glass solar panels would not work. The fabric is uniquely integrated with thin, flexible, lightweight solar panels. It is designed to be waterproof, fire-retardant, UV-resistant, and durable enough to withstand extreme wind loads and weather conditions.
The rainwater capture system included in this project features a water diverter that channels all of the rainwater from the roof into three large cisterns allowing the water to be used when needed by the garden. The solar powered fabric roof connects to a silent, clean battery storage system providing 270 Amp hours of capacity, enough to power lighting, tools, electric bicycles, cell phones, fans, and dozens of phones and laptop computers.
The system also features a dashboard that educates visitors with a graphic display about the power being generated and consumed in real time. The on-board electronics also features BlueTooth connectivity and a WiFi interface, allowing the system to be monitored remotely, and also to capture and transmit data files to document historic performance.
Pvilion’s solar canopy offers a unique contrast to the open-air heavy timber frame structure: the lightweight solar canopy now provides shade and rain protection all while harvesting precious rainwater and energy. It’s a long-awaited complement to this beloved community garden in lower Manhattan.
Green GOOD DESIGN Sustainability Awards goal is to bestow international recognition to those outstanding individuals, companies, organizations, governments, and institutions – together with their products, services, programs, ideas, and concepts-that have forwarded exceptional thinking and inspired greater progress toward a more healthier and more sustainable universe.
GOOD DESIGN™ was founded in Chicago in 1950 by Eero Saarinen, Charles and Ray Eames, and Edgar Kaufmann, Jr. to promote and foster a greater public understanding and acceptance for Modern Design.
Now in turn and in 2023, GREEN GOOD DESIGN‘s goal is to bestow international recognition to those outstanding individuals, companies, organizations, governments, and institutions – together with their products, services, programs, ideas, and concepts-that have forwarded exceptional thinking and inspired greater progress toward a more healthier and more sustainable universe.” (This is an excerpt from their website. Click here to read more on the original site.)
To view the award listing, click here.
Why film sets are making the shift away from loud, polluting generators.
Pvilion Blog | June 24, 2024 | By Julia Fowler
From cameras to craft services and sets to studio lights, it’s no question that the entertainment industry is a massive source of global pollution. As more production companies become increasingly aware of the harmful environmental effects of their productions, many companies are beginning to take measures to reduce their impact. Thanks to several mainstream publications shining light on the harm caused, more effective action is beginning to take place than ever before.
To name a few, Disney, Netflix, and RMI have recently made public commitments to specific sustainable goals, including replacing diesel generators with clean mobile power solutions. In fact, the need is so great that there are now agencies dedicated to improving sustainability efforts on film sets. Companies like EcoSet and Earth Angel are hired by production companies to introduce strategies and solutions to reduce their carbon footprint.
While waste reduction and recycling are beneficial, the greatest offender on sets are the emissions released from fuel used for power. The generators used to power sets are releasing millions of metric tons of C02 every year. As a result, experts are suggesting eliminating the need for generators as much as possible.
Recently TIME shared an article, Film and TV’s Carbon Footprint Is Too Big to Ignore, that takes a closer look at the impact of the entertainment industry’s carbon footprint. “Every year, the global entertainment industry generates millions of metric tons of CO2. Depending on the size of the production, movies can emit on average between 391 metric tons for a small film and up to 3,370 metric tons of CO2 equivalents for large, tentpole productions such as Oppenheimer or Barbie—that’s the equivalent of powering 656 homes for a year,” according to the article.
Not only are these emissions incredibly harmful to the environment, they are harmful for the crew working around them. A 2019 study conducted by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation’s Global Burden of Disease found that air pollution was the third highest ranking risk factor of diseases that resulted in death globally. Other studies – like those by Energy Report – have found that the average diesel generator emits fumes that contain over 40 toxic air pollutants, most of which are carcinogenic. Dangerous fumes are only part of the risk associated with working around generators; they are also a major source of noise pollution. Most generators emit anywhere from 85 to 105 decibels and are a common cause of hearing loss for those that spend time around them.
This is why experts recommend shifting to more sustainable options, like batteries. Batteries can be used in conjunction with solar systems. Solar powered batteries are an optimal source of clean energy, flexibility, and can provide power independent from the grid. Not only this, but thanks to the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act, solar powered battery systems qualify for a 30% tax credit.
How Can Pvilion Help?
From lighting, to makeup trailers, catering, and everything in between, the demand for reliable off-grid power on a production set is high. Pvilion works with production companies to provide battery kit solutions that exceed the expectations of a traditional generator. Pvilion battery kits are:
Interested in using a Pvilion battery on your next production? Pvilion offers battery rental kits for purchase with or without a complete solar fabric system. For businesses located in New York City, Pvilion offers a battery rental program – with the option for daily on-site delivery. Rentals can be scaled to meet power need and can be rented on a short-term or long-term basis. Want to learn more? Get in touch with our battery rental team for more information.
