As summer temperatures in Osaka, Japan, soar closer to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, staff at Expo 2025 are beating the heat with utility vests that are powered by the sun.
Developed by Toyota Group company Toyoda Gosei, in collaboration with solar cell startup Enecoat Technologies and textile manufacturer Seiren, the utility vests are fitted with ultra-thin, flexible solar panels that weigh less than four grams each — lighter than a single sheet of paper — and power neck fans to keep the wearer cool.
These solar "films" are made of perovskites. The perovskite solar cells are lighter, cheaper to produce and can be tuned to absorb a broader range of light, including visible and near-infrared. They can even be charged "under shade, in rainy and cloudy weather," says Shinichiro Fuki, director of the Toyoda Gosei team behind the vest.
The team is gathering data daily on how it responds to different climate conditions, such as solar radiation and temperature, as well as the performance of the mobile battery that it connects to, which is expected to fully charge in five to 10 hours.
According to Fuki, the project is a "world-first initiative" to integrate perovskite solar cells into wearables. "We hope people who work in an environment where they cannot easily obtain power without solar power will use and wear it," he adds.
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📸: Dan Campisi/CNN
The UK Government’s decision to triple domestic heat pump manufacturing funding to £90 million marks a significant step toward advancing net zero carbon buildings and sustainable construction. The investment, part of the Heat Pump Investment Accelerator Competition, supports a shift from fossil-fuel heating systems toward low carbon design alternatives. This strategy strengthens the UK’s capacity to measure and manage embodied carbon and whole life carbon across the built environment, setting a pathway for a new generation of energy-efficient buildings aligned with a circular economy in construction.
The funding increase is expected to boost supply chains for low embodied carbon materials, encouraging manufacturers to undertake whole life carbon assessment and lifecycle assessment processes when scaling production. By integrating life cycle cost considerations into both product development and procurement, construction firms can enhance environmental sustainability in construction and drive improvements in sustainable building practices that are measurable, verifiable, and fully compliant with BREEAM and BREEAM v7 certification frameworks.
Heat pumps are being positioned as a cornerstone of low carbon building performance, essential to reducing the carbon footprint of construction projects while improving renewable energy use in the housing sector. This transition links closely to sustainable building design and eco-design for buildings, where life cycle thinking in construction ensures long-term energy efficiency, resource efficiency in construction, and end-of-life reuse in construction. It forms part of a broader shift toward carbon neutral construction that aligns industry performance with national climate targets under the Clean Heat Mechanism.
The Government’s emphasis on green infrastructure and off-grid electric vehicle charging further supports sustainable urban development and decarbonising the built environment. Investment in renewable building materials and green building products underpins a new generation of low carbon construction materials built for the circular economy. These measures encourage stakeholders to consider embodied carbon in materials and carbon footprint reduction strategies, setting new benchmarks for sustainable design and environmental product declarations (EPDs).
Grassroots initiatives like the Dorset COP showcase how sustainable building practices can emerge from local engagement. By connecting policy ambition with practical delivery, such forums demonstrate the role of community-led sustainable architecture and eco-friendly construction in achieving net zero whole life carbon goals. This balanced approach to sustainable construction links technology, funding, and local action, forming the structural backbone of a low-impact construction future. Through collaboration and evidence-based standards, the UK’s construction sector continues to lay the foundations for a built environment defined by resilience, circular construction strategies, and enduring environmental stewardship.
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