An integrated energy harvesting and storage device (IEHSD) includes a solar cell (SC) including an active layer between an optically transparent top electrode and a bottom electrode, and an energy storage device (SD) secured below the solar cell including a separator between a first electrode and a second electrode. The bottom electrode and the first or second electrode are electrically common with one another and are within a distance of ?300 ?m from one another.

A fabric for arc-protective garments includes first yarns and second yarns different from the first yarns. The first yarns include first modacrylic fibers, and the first modacrylic fibers contain an infrared absorber in an amount of 2.5 wt % or more with respect to a total weight of the first modacrylic fibers. The weight of the infrared absorber per unit area in the fabric for arc-protective garments is 0.05 oz/yd.sup.2 or more. An arc-protective garment includes the fabric for arc-protective garments.

A textile construct has a first fiber configured to convert one or more forms of ambient energy to an electrical potential. A plurality of second fibers are mechanically coupled with the first fiber to define a textile. An electrical connector operatively couples to the first fiber to convey the electrical potential to a complementarily configured electrical device. An energy-harvesting platform can have such a textile construct. The complementarily configured electrical device can be a platform accessory.

A sensor yarn (10) having a thread core (11) around which first and second conductors (12, 13) are helically wound. The two conductors (12, 13) are electrically insulated from each other and from the thread core (11). The two conductors (12, 13) form a capacitive component (15) together with the thread core (11). In one embodiment, the sensor yarn (10a) has a capacitance (Cl) per unit of length that changes in the direction of extent (E) of the sensor yarn. This can be accomplished by a change in the winding geometry of the first or second conductors (12, 13) or by a change of the relative permittivity (E) of the sensor yarn (10). In another embodiment, the sensor yarn (10b) has photosensitive material (30) and a length change is effected by an incident to the light (L). As a result of a length change or other deformation of the sensor yarn (10a, 10b), the total capacitance (CG) of the sensor yarn (10a, 10b) changes, which can be determined by means of an evaluating unit (17).