For Australian Army soldiers patrolling the dry and dusty hills of Afghanistan, the sweltering Northern Hemisphere sun is usually an enemy, making an already tough job hot and uncomfortable.

But thanks to the innovation of Australian researchers at the Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems (CSES) at The Australian National University (ANU), the sun may well soon be their friend.

Light-weight solar panels, designed to be worn on uniforms, armour plates, helmets or backpacks have been developed by the CSES as part of a contract with the Australian Defence Force (ADF). As part of the ADF solider modernisation program, infantry soldiers are being equipped with a number of electronic devices to enhance their health and safety. However, these additional electronic devices mean soldiers also need an efficient, lightweight and mobile power source.

Tectonica, a private sector contactor is working in partnership with the ANU and Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) to roll out an integrated solar power system for ADF personnel. Solar technology will be used as the power source while CSIRO will develop the textiles necessary to incorporate the power into the soldiers’ clothing and equipment. This collaboration of Australian research and development, along with funding from the Australian Department of Defence, will ensure this project will soon have its time in the sun.

Advances in modern technology have resulted in soldiers carrying more and more equipment. Although this has resulted in expanded capabilities for soldiers on the ground, the extra weight that comes with the additional equipment has recently come into focus, especially in the context of conflicts in countries such as Afghanistan.

Dr Igor Skryabin, the project’s Development Manager at the CSES, believes the solar panels have the potential to greatly benefit Australian soldiers. “Currently soldiers are dependent on electrical power provided by a conventional battery to power the range of new devices they are being equipped with. Each battery has a different endurance and reliability level, some are disposable and some rechargeable, with each rechargeable type requiring its own kit, compounding the bulk and weight that needs to be carried.”

According to recent studies undertaken on battery usage, up to twenty kilograms of spent lithium batteries are discarded by a single soldier during a five-week deployment and up to 88 ‘AA’ batteries may be consumed on a five-day mission. That is a lot of batteries by any practical measure. The ADF believes that reducing the overall weight carried by soldiers is essential. Harnessing the sun to capture the power currently generated by all of these batteries is an elegant solution.

A recent United States Army study found that American soldiers on average carry anywhere between 40 to 60 kilograms, while their British counterparts currently serving in in Afghanistan carry an average of 50 kilograms. Australian studies recommend soldiers carry between 35 and 50 kilograms depending on their mission, although it is widely acknowledged that they often carry more. Recently a British Army Commander criticised the amount of weight his troops were expected to carry, asserting that the exhaustion it caused led to bad decision making, which in turn was needlessly adding to the likelihood of their being killed or sustaining injury.

Dr Skryabin believes that the solar power solution being developed by the CSES can help address this problem. “While battery technology research has delivered considerable improvements, the goal of a small, lightweight power storage system, capable of sustaining all electronic equipment for the whole time a soldier is in the field, is not yet available”, he says. “The development of these wearable solar cells will now allow soldiers to generate power in the field and reduce the need for batteries for their electronic devices. They will also establish a power supply that keeps electronic devices operational throughout the duration of missions.”

The wearable panels are based on SLIVER solar technology, invented and developed by CSES researchers. SLIVER cells are long, thin, narrow, and are can absorb power from both sides. They use up to 90 per cent less silicon compared with conventional solar technologies, resulting in lower production costs.

The CSES project’s Chief Investigator, Professor Andrew Blakers, believes their military application is a showcase of the innovative technology’s flexibility. “SLIVER cells have enabled the construction of efficient, rugged, flexible and light weight portable modules that convert light directly into electricity under a wide range of environmental conditions,” Professor Blakers says. “They have the same thickness of a sheet of paper or a human hair and they are flexible, lightweight and allow high power to weight ratios to be achieved.”

With both close military allies the United States and the United Kingdom also pursuing development of solar technology, the advancement of the Soldier Integrated Power System shows Australia is leading worldwide development of innovative defence technologies. The weight of batteries may soon be a thing of the past, with a lighter more efficient power source assisting soldiers across the world to better manage the challenge resting on their shoulders.