In Taipei, Taiwan the seventh Textile International Forum and Exhibition ended yesterday with solar local and international experts in total agreement on the growing importance of green technologies on value creation in the textile industry. New "foldable" solar panels and electronic devices that can be used in and/or on garments were especially praised for improving mobility in Taiwan.

"In the near future, bags or jackets will incorporate foldable solar panels that will provide electricity for PDAs, cellphones or digital media players," said Lin Cheng-chu, vice-director of the Weaving Research Department at Taiwan Textile Research Institute in Taipei, Taiwan.

A solar panel cell is a solar device that converts light into solar electricity using a "photovoltaic" effect, which can be used to solar power equipment or to recharge a solar battery. The first generation of solar panels was developed in the 1950s but until recently, their high manufacturing solar panel costs have made their use prohibitive. According to a survey, "Photovoltaic Energy Barometer 2007," published by the magazine Euro-observer, Japan, Germany and the United States make up 90 percent of the total installations of "fixed" solar panels worldwide.