A recent research project wants British soldiers to wear solar photovoltaic cells and a thermoelectric system to harness light or heat for 24/7 power. The goal is to lighten the packs soldiers carry by 50% and reduce the number of return trips to the base for recharging. An added benefit of the system is that after the various sources absorb all the energy across the electromagnetic spectrum, the soldiers will appear less obvious to infra-red surveillance equipment.
This project is a collaboration between the University of Glasgow and Strathclyde, Leeds, Reading, Loughborough, and Brunel Universities. Funding support is also coming from The Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Many different disciplines are at work on this project, including chemists, material science, process, electrical, and design engineers. As you can see, everyone is quite serious about this endeavor.
Solar PV will harness light in the day, and thermoelectric devices will take over the same task at night. "Advanced" storage schemes will be used to store excess energy while still providing continuous power. Side note; the thermal harvesters should run 100% of the time. Daytime heat and the active soldier will generate much more power than in the evening, but the team will discover this soon.
Professor Ducan Gregory of Glasgow said they are planning to have a prototype within 2 years. He hopes the technology will filter into other categories, like medical transportation, satellites, or other space applications.
Good luck, see you all in 2 years.
Eavesdropper