Category: press

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Pvilion Awarded Air Force SBIR Phase II Program For Rapidly Deployable, Solar Powered Structures

Posted on | by pvilion_dev

CBS 19 NEWS NOW  |  April 7, 2020

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, April 7, 2020 — PVILION, a leading solar powered fabric provider, announced it has been awarded a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract by the United State Air Force (USAF) to continue its development of rapidly deployable, solar powered structures.      

Through a competitive awards-based program, the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program enables small businesses to explore their technological potential and provides the incentive to profit from its commercialization.

The USAF’s Rapid Sustainment Office (RSO) and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research process in an attempt to speed up the experience, broaden the pool of potential applicants and decrease bureaucratic overhead. The RSO’s goal is to increase mission readiness by rapidly identifying, applying, and scaling technology essential to the operation and sustainment of the United States Air Force. 

 In moments of crisis, the USAF needs to be able to deploy structures in forward areas to support personnel, equipment and operation centers. These structures need to be agile in that they must be easy to set up quickly and be independently powered. Additionally, the structures can provide climate control.    

The USAF has favorably evaluated the products Pvilion presented for cost, complexity, sustainability, required manual labor as well as for energy independence all with the goal of maximizing mission-objective readiness. 

Pvilion’s solar technology is significantly lighter and more adaptable than traditional solar options. It is integrated entirely into a system already being installed; e.g., a tent, shade canopy, hangar, etc. With fully integrated photovoltaic fabric panels, Pvilion’s structures allow for the multi-capability use by providing power, shelter, lighting, and climate control.

Pvilion’s numerous commercial customers use its solar fabric technology in structures used for events such as music festivals, in temporary industrial worksites and in structures found in parks, municipalities, universities, and corporate campuses. Pvilion’s solar fabric products have been commercially available for eight years. 

Pvilion has successfully developed ways to modify framing systems and fabric to be built lighter in weight with highly insulated walls. Pvilion’s high efficiency structures are integrated with solar cells for a turnkey solution that includes climate control, improved thermal performance, and increased equipment performance and are well suited for on-site additive manufacturing. The integrated technologies will reduce cooling power requirements while simultaneously generating the power needed. This is the first product of its kind to properly align solar, energy storage, cooling and heating for a fully off generator expeditionary system capable of operating in most climate conditions. The lighter technology and increased thermal performance specified by the Air Force will have applications in the commercial market, as well. Pvilion’s product will both reduce the manpower required to set up renewable energy and shelter solutions, while also reducing the dependency on costly, loud, and environmentally dirty diesel generators.

“We are thrilled to have won the award and we are excited to have the opportunity to work with the USAF,” said Colin Touhey, Engineer and Pvilion CEO. “We’re now working hard to quickly delivery solar structures to Airmen who need them most. In this challenging time, instant access shelter, power, and climate control is key. This project is very important to Pvilion and, I believe, the nation as whole,” added Touhey. “My partners, Robert Lerner, Todd Dalland, and I, have been developing this technology and fielding it all over the world, and there’s no greater tent customer than the US Military. This project means the world to us.”

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Engineering Success with Colin Touhey of Pvilion

Posted on | by mceveritt

Pvilion of Brooklyn designs and manufactures flexible photovoltaic (PV) structures and products. Examples include deployable solar tents for the U.S. military, Tommy Hilfiger solar clothing, a solar fabric carport at Google, and fold-up solar chargers. In February 2019, researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) were awarded a Manufacturing Grant from FuzeHub’s Jeff Lawrence Manufacturing Innovation Fund to help Pvilion automate its solar fabric manufacturing process.

Listen to podcast:

Colin Touhey, Pvilion’s co-founder and CEO, recently caught up with FuzeHub in a NYS Manufacturing Now podcast. Touhey’s voice may be familiar to attendees at last year’s New York State Innovation Summit (part of the NYSTAR Annual Meeting), where he participated in a panel discussion at the “Navigating Start-Up Capital” session. An electrical engineer specializing in renewable energy technology, Touhey also spoke at a NYSTAR Defense Diversification workshop that was powered by FuzeHub in August 2018.

Listen to FuzeHub’s podcast with Pvilion to learn more about the rise of this dynamic company. In addition to telling Pvilion’s story, Touhey shares advice for startups and addresses challenges that manufacturers face. He also describes Pvilion’s successes and explains how his company has benefitted by working with NYS-funded assets. Click play below to listen to FuzeHub’s interview with Pvilion’s Colin Touhey.

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A bright future: fabrics that generate electricity

Posted on | by pvilion_dev

Pvilion’s Colin Touhey is working to forge strategic partnerships to integrate photovoltaic technology into all kinds of fabric products.

Specialty Fabrics Review  |  Jill C. Lafferty  |  July 2019

Pvilion is the 10-year-old partnership between Touhey, an electrical engineer, and fabric structure industry veterans Todd Dalland and Robert Lerner, AIA. Dalland is a pioneering designer and inventor in the field of lightweight structures and a recipient of the Bruce Wodetzki Award—the tent rental industry’s highest honor. Lerner has led new technology development programs involving lightweight, deployable structures for NASA, the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force. The three connected when Dalland and Lerner were working on integrating photovoltaic cells with fabric for the U.S. Department of Defense. 

“Todd and Robert had started FTL Solar and were making flexible PV fabric products and structures for military, tent rental and car park projects. Joining them as a summer intern when I was in college was an exciting opportunity for me,” Touhey says. With an eye toward expanding into architectural, commercial and consumer markets, the three became partners and reformatted the business as Pvilion in 2011. 

Supply and demand

What Pvilion does is simple in theory—and complicated in reality, Touhey says. “We integrate solar cells with fabric, and we build fabric products that generate electricity,” he says. “Effectively, any surface, any fabric that is getting hit by the sun, can be a fabric that generates electricity.”

While it may seem futuristic to the general public, the Pvilion team says the technology is proven in the field. Dalland and Lerner worked on the first photovoltaic tent more than 20 years ago, which led to research and development funding from the U.S. Army. That helped show the world that it can be done, Lerner says.

“You need to be patient when you are developing new technology and trying to get it out into the market and sell something to people who have never seen it before. A lot of people just don’t want to be first one to do anything,” Lerner says. “I’ve always said we are a little bit ahead of our time; we are usually five years ahead, which is better than being 20 years ahead of your time. We know what technologies are coming, and we are leaders in bringing new technologies to market.”

And there’s no doubt about the market demand for mobile energy generation—or that fabric has the potential to meet that demand. Take the global proliferation of the mobile phone. Technology conglomerate Cisco predicts that by 2020, more people will have a mobile phone than will have electricity in their homes, with the Middle East and Africa expected to have the highest growth rate in mobile data usage. 

“Every person in the world has a phone that needs to be charged,” Touhey says. “And every person in the world has access to fabric. They might be in a tent, they might have an awning, they are definitely wearing clothes. The access to phones has driven the requirement for mobile power.”

Market integration

Pvilion’s strategy has been to build turnkey products—a carport for electric cars, a canopy for a mobile coffee cart, a solar-powered pedestrian bridge, and so on. But recently, the company has begun seeking out partners that are the best in their market segment, with the goal of integrating flexible PV technology into a variety of existing end products.

“If we want to launch an event tent, we’re going to be working with the best and brightest event tent manufacturer to integrate our technology into their supply chain,” Touhey says. “We feel very confident in our technology and our ability to take our technology to different markets with strategic partners.”

One market application Touhey would like to pursue—for which the right partner or opportunity has yet to come along—is large industrial buildings that can’t support the weight of traditional solar panels but would benefit from energy generation and solar tax incentives.

“We’ve started to have preliminary conversations with potential partners,
and we are very excited about that idea,” he says. “We’re pursuing the large-scale roll-out of the technology on our own, with partners, and with the help of grants from New York State.”

While a strategy of finding partners has benefits—such as funding and not reinventing established products and processes—this approach also comes with risks.

“It has been a challenge to share what we do while protecting it at the same time, even with patents and intellectual property protections,” Touhey says. “In the last year, almost 18 months, we’ve just said, ‘Look, in order to make an omelet, you’ve got to break some eggs,’ and we’ve got to be showing this to partners who can scale this in ways that we couldn’t even imagine.”

Beyond specific markets, Pvilion is focused on developing manufacturing processes that are more dependent on robotics and less on labor, thereby reducing costs and increasing volume. The technology isn’t at the commoditization point—yet—but Touhey envisions that with wider adoption, Pvilion will be known as “the technology in an everyday product,” along the lines of brands like Gore and Intel.

Dalland predicts that manufacturers in all IFAI market segments will eventually adopt photovoltaic technology, creating products that serve their original function while also generating electricity. 

“Fabric-based product makers will become electricity business experts,” Dalland says. “For me, there is nothing more beautiful than a flexible solar fabric product that makes electricity and money from day one.”

New ideas

While there is some overlap in the responsibilities of the three partners, Touhey is the most focused on big-picture strategy, forging partnerships and reaching new customers. The challenges Pvilion faces are the same challenges faced by any project-based small business, he says.

“It’s really hard to wait for customers. You have to really fill your pipeline and be ready for a year out or two years out because there are dry spells, and you have to be able to weather that,” he says. “We get a lot of projects where we get paid as we complete them. Well, you’ve got to have cash up front to build it. That’s always a challenge for any small business that’s growing—how much to invest in other people’s projects, and how much to rely on customers to be funding you.”

But being a small and nimble company committed to a technology rather than a specific market means that the Pvilion can make decisions quickly, entering a new market and developing a new product in a matter of weeks or months, he says. 

“Running a business is exciting,” Touhey says. “You are constantly on the edge. It’s up and it’s down; there are new innovations. We are constantly coming up with new ideas. Every day we have a new idea about how to make our product better. It’s rewarding to take the ideas in your head to a sketch on paper into a concept that becomes a reality in the field.” 

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The Race to Energy Independence One Device at a Time

Posted on | by mceveritt

Listen to podcast:

In this episode of The IoClothes Podcast, we speak with Colin Touhey, CEO of pvilion. Energy independence isn’t just a geo-political challenge. We feel the pain with each and every device that “cuts the cord” from the wall. It’s inevitable our smart phones will be at 5% battery right when need to use the GPS or make an important call. Go figure. What if we didn’t have to worry about that? What if our devices became energy independent by harvesting the energy around us? pvilion is offer solutions that do just that through solar panel integrated into textiles.

This show we talk to him about why they chosen to use textiles as a base material for their solar panels, what they’ve learn from collaborations with companies like Tommy Hilfiger and the importance of business model evolution when thinking about incorporating technology into well-established industries.

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3 Advanced Photovoltaic Membrane Systems for Solar Applications

Posted on | by mceveritt

Building-integrated photovoltaic systems are becoming increasingly popular as either the main or supplementary source of power in all types of building projects. Integrating flexible photovoltaic solar panels with fiber roofing systems is a fairly new innovation, led by companies like Pvilion, a designer and manufacturer of flexible photovoltaic solar structures and products.

Advanced Technology

As technology has improved, flexible photovoltaic panels can now be part of fully integrated photovoltaic membrane structures. These systems have undergone decades of research, development and testing to ensure viability and demonstrate lasting functionality. Solar Integrated Membrane Structure.

Having demonstrated compliance with the International Electrical Code (IEC) and United Labs (UL), the three projects shown have all been approved by the local building departments. 

Photovoltaic Membrane Systems Continue Evolving

Very few companies specialize in this technology as it takes a significant effort in research, development and testing to demonstrate  compatibility and efficacy of the solar fabric integration under environmental and structural conditions . Pvilion began working with Shelter-Rite in 2014. Pvilion required a durable and strong fabric that was suitable for a variety of applications and technical needs.

As solar fabric membranes continue to advance, it has led to numerous innovations such as the world’s first tensile structure house that meets the “Passivhaus” energy standard, the most stringent energy standard in the world. This project was designed by students at Rhode Island School of Design, Brown University, and Erfurt University as part of an international Solar Decathlon competition. 

This project achieved a number of “firsts,” such as proprietary techniques and processes to allow Pvilion solar membranes to be installed as a second skin over a primary roof membrane. This technology could fit or retro-fit photovoltaic skins onto new or pre-existing membrane roofs, allowing the second photovoltaic skin to be installed and maintained separately from the main skin.

Another project, a solar parking structure at Google’s Mountain View campus, covers electric vehicle parking spaces and helps charge the cars below. Such structures have many advantages, including simple installation thanks to factory prefabrication, and ease of relocation.    

This technology translates well to larger jobs, such as the canopy over the Capital Cascades Connector Bridge in Tallahassee, Florida. The canopy adds a key design element, and the integrated solar array generates enough power to offset the power used for the bridge lighting. 

Proven Performance

Advanced photovoltaic membranes have been working well in a variety of environments and applications for several years. The Capital Cascades Connector Bridge canopy has withstood one hurricane and one tropical storm in two seasons with no sign of degradation. The Techstyle Haus has been in use since the summer of 2014, having been installed, disassembled, and relocated three times.

As flexible solar modules continue to improve, this technology will become even more efficient and cost-effective. It is an outstanding option wherever membrane structures are used, such as athletic facilities, architectural features, parking structures and much more.

Robert Lerner from Pvilion Technologies contributed to this blog post.

You can read online article here

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Pvilion: The NY Startup Pushing Solar-Powered Fabric Solutions

Posted on | by pvilion_dev

We spoke with PVilion CEO Colin Touhey about how the company designs are generating clean energy through fabric.

Imagine: A tote bag that charges your phone, a coffee cart that generates its own electricity, curtains that produce enough electricity to power the lighting in an entire building. But these are not mere figments of the imagination — these are actual products from NYC-based startup Pvilion, which is rethinking the ways that fabric and solar can power the future.

In today’s day and age, energy demands are monumental and the need for creative energy solutions is greater than ever. Energy access differentiates between the haves and have-nots, and according to the United Nations, approximately 1.1 billion people have no access to electricity altogether, which cuts them off from income-generating opportunities, basic healthcare, and education. While this statistic is incredibly daunting, the only way forward is by rethinking the ways that we can make power generation easier and more sustainable. Pvilion is doing just that.

Fabric is used universally to construct not only clothes, but tents and other everyday designs — but what if it could also be used as an opportunity to generate sustainable power? Such is the concept for Pvilion. With creativity and a passion for renewable energy, the company is leading the way forward with their innovative designs. We talk with CEO Colin Touhey about the company’s mission for re-imagining the possibilities for fabric structures.

Where did the concept for Pvilion originate? What was the inspiration that got you going?


Pvilion started with a passion for renewable energy generation and a passion for lightweight fabric structures. We started out building solar-powered tents for the military and realized that there were far greater applications: architecture, consumer products, event tents, and humanitarian aid. There are many places where you need shelter and power, and we’ve realized that the combination of the two is what inspires us.

From fashion to architecture, you’re not only exploring different disciplines but also challenging how we think about solar power. Can you talk a little bit about the possibilities you see for Pvilion?

Well, we see fabric as a platform for energy generation. Any surface that gets hit by the sun can produce electricity, so our thesis is such. Eventually, we will become a material company, developing elements that are integrated into finished products by others. For the time being, we are a turnkey operation for design, engineering, manufacturing, and sales. The possibilities are endless, but moving to a roll-based model will allow us to grow significantly. That is, we sell you a few yards of fabric and you can do whatever you want with it: make a t-shirt, cover your boat, shade your backyard, etc.

What are some examples of products that have been especially fun to design or that customers have been really excited about?


The Tommy Hilfiger clutch is amazing. We use the texture of leather to build the solar piece, and a USB port is inside to charge mobile devices. It’s been a great product, and working with a large brand like Tommy is a great learning experience fur us.

What has the reception been like so far?


We’ve had positive feedback and been successful in a number of markets. The question remains: what is the most appropriate use for our technology that is in a scalable and interesting market? Folks are really excited about the idea, and we’ve made tons of progress, but there is still room for growth in each of our market areas.

How do you see the economy developing around this kind of design and technology?

I think about it more as “value-added” rather than “returns-based.” No one is calculating the amount of energy they use to charge their cell phone, right? But, they are willing to pay a certain amount of money to charge their cell phone wherever they are. So, the economy is not the solar economy, but the service and experience economy. We are selling a service — charging some electronics — it is just packaged as a product for the time being.

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What have been the most frustrating challenges to your work so far? 


Each product category requires a new way of thinking. That’s fun and intellectually stimulating, but there are reasons that you don’t want to build something custom for every one of your customers! The frustration comes when customers want to tweak our existing products — and of course we say yes!!


What are your biggest opportunities for growth?


Our two main focuses are consumer products and industrial buildings. Both are very different categories, but in fact, they’re similar in these ways:

  1. We don’t manufacture either! So, we are selling our materials to end product manufacturers who then package and sell to the customer.
  2. You need electricity everywhere! Whether that’s charging your phone or powering lighting and ventilation for a farm building, there is a huge need for power.

Can you expand on some of the humanitarian aid work that Pvilion is doing?


To be honest, our technology isn’t at the price point of humanitarian aid shelters yet. That being said, mobile USB charging is a very important piece of the infrastructure puzzle in the developing world, and that interests us. Without creating the infrastructure of phone lines in every home, mobile networks have growth exponentially. The same is true with power, where decentralized distributed power is going to skip over utility lines reaching every home.

Article by Erika Clugston, The Beam

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Colin Touhey, Pvilion CEO, presents at Smart Fabrics Summit 2018

Posted on | by mceveritt

Our CEO, Colin Touhey, presented at this year’s Smart Fabrics Summit in Washington, DC. His presentation titled: Wired Skins: An Exploration into Solar Powered Fabric. The introduction of solar-powered fabrics allows underutilized real estate, on the body and in the world, to increase functionality and add value to organizations, individuals, and governments.

Presentation HERE

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Global Energy Leaders Podcast; Unique Energy Solutions

Posted on | by mceveritt

Pvilion CEO, Colin Touhey, Forbes 30 Under 30 Energy, was recently interviewed by Global Energy Media to share his insights into fabric solar technology and the growth of solar powered consumer products. See below for interview.

On today’s episode, Colin Touhey, CEO of Pvilion visits with The Global Energy Leaders Podcast to discuss what’s beyond solar and how we should be focusing on thinking outside of the box when it comes to implementing solar into our everyday lives.

Source: https://globalenergymedia.com/global-energ…