For photovoltaic cells, the silicon technique is exhausted. We can hardly make any progress. Other avenues are promising today, including CIGS [copper, indium, gallium and selenium, Ed]. This is what we use to achieve a supple and thin support of 65 microns. We arrive at 125 g / m2. It’s a silk scarf! After encapsulation, the cells weigh 210 g / m2. Thus speaks Alain Janet, who leads the young company Solar Cloth System, but also the UK sailmakers sailmaker. With the so-called encapsulation technique used for the production of polyester webs, these photovoltaic films could be integrated into the fabric. It is also possible to make “patches” to fix on existing sails, which also allows them to be used at anchor, when the sails are slumped, and the refrigerator turns. These CIGS cells have the advantage of capturing light in different directions, which is important for media that are not always ideally oriented relative to the sun, as is the case with a sail and which also makes it possible to recover the light. reflection on the surface of the water. With a yield of 12 to 14%, 5 square meters in 16 panels on each side of the sail lead to a power of 1 kW, according to Alain Janet. The 16 panels are installed on each side of the mainsail (the one that is fixed to the mast and that is rolled up when one enters the harbor or that one drops anchor). The cells are included in fibers with the same encapsulation technique as that of making the fabric of the sail itself. © Solar Cloth System The 16 panels are installed on each side of the mainsail (the one that is fixed to the mast and that is rolled up when one enters the harbor or that one drops anchor). The cells are included in fibers with the same encapsulation technique as that of making the fabric of the sail itself. © Solar Cloth System