In today’s day and age, energy demands are monumental and the need for creative energy solutions is greater than ever. The only way forward is by rethinking the ways that we can make power generation easier and more sustainable.
NYC-based startup Pvilion is doing just that. It is rethinking the ways in which fabric and solar can be blended together to power the future. 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.
Pvilion started with a passion for renewable energy generation and a passion for lightweight fabric structures. They 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. They see fabric as a platform for energy generation. Any surface that gets hit by the sun can produce electricity.
Pvilion produced clutch for Tommy Hilfiger. They used the texture of leather to build the solar piece, and a USB port was placed inside to charge mobile devices.Currently they are focusing on consumer products and industrial buildings.
Pvilion has positioned itself as offering “value-added” rather than “returns-based” products. They feel that customers 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.