Scientists have developed a novel nano-wire coating for clothes that can both generate heat and trap the heat from our bodies better than regular clothes.
The technology could help us reduce our reliance on conventional energy sources, researchers said.
Researcher Yi Cui from Stanford University and colleagues note that nearly half of global energy consumption goes towards heating buildings and homes. But this comfort comes at considerable environmental cost. Scientists and policymakers have tried to improve insulation to keep fuel-generated warmth inside. Cui’s team wanted to take a different approach and focus on people.
The researchers developed lightweight, breathable mesh materials that are flexible enough to coat normal clothes. When compared to regular clothing material, nanowire cloth trapped body heat far more effectively. They can also be actively warmed with an electricity source.
The researchers calculated that their thermal textiles could save about 1,000 kilowatt hours per person every year.
