Wearable photovoltaic textiles: From device technologies to long‐term reliability

Abstract Photovoltaic (PV) textiles are emerging as a promising class of energy‐harvesting systems that combine solar conversion capability with the softness, porosity, and wearability of fabrics. Unlike conventional rigid modules, PV textiles are designed to conform to the human body and to operate under continuous mechanical deformation and environmental exposure. Research in this field has progressed from laminated planar devices on fabrics to one‐dimensional PV fibers and woven or knitted modules, demonstrating compatibility with solution processing and textile integration. While these advances are significant, the central challenge has shifted from efficiency to reliability. Daily stresses such as bending, stretching, twisting, laundering, ultraviolet irradiation, and moisture ingress impose stringent requirements far beyond those encountered in flexible thin‐film modules. Reliability is therefore established as the primary design axis governing the feasibility of wearable PVs. Two complementary dimensions define this reliability framework. Mechanical reliability depends on hierarchical structural design, including fabric planarization to mitigate roughness, fiber‐level neutral‐axis engineering to minimize strain, and woven‐level architecture to dissipate multiaxial stresses at crossovers. Environmental stability relies on encapsulation strategies that block oxygen and moisture while preserving flexibility and wash durability. Advances in nanoparticle–polymer composites, thin‐film encapsulation, and graphene‐based barriers illustrate how impermeability can be coupled with conformability and multifunctionality, such as UV shielding, thermal management, and heavy‐metal sequestration. Collectively, these developments establish a roadmap for wearable PV systems to evolve from vulnerable prototypes to practical, application‐ready platforms. By embedding reliability into material, structural, and encapsulation design, PV textiles hold the potential to enable autonomous power sources for healthcare monitoring, self‐powered biosensors, and human‐centric electronic textiles.