A Football Stadium Covered in This Solar Cloth Could Power a Small Town

Flexible, lightweight fabric could extend the possibilities for solar power and fit in places not practical for large panels. While the idea is not new, one startup has covered a 12-space parking lot with fabric containing photovoltaics that generate 15 kilowatts per hour, reports Megan Gambino for Smithsonian Magazine. A company goal is for solar technology not to compete for productive farmland but rather produce power for busy commercial centers. Solar Cloth Company founder Perry Carroll suggests a carport cover could power one home and a stadium cover could power a small community. The company relies on crowd-funding for money as well as new ideas for the fabric. Declining oil prices, though, could reduce the competitiveness of such projects. – YaleGlobal