My issue with exciting things like this and solar heating is that in most cases we are nowhere near the technological limit of climate control efficiencies that

My issue with exciting things like this and solar heating is that in most cases we are nowhere near the technological limit of climate control efficiencies that can be achieved with a reasonable amount of effort. My aunt was selling solar heating in Minnesota. People would be really interested until they found out the first step was doing a really thorough (and somewhat costly) job insulating the house, which provides more energy savings than the solar panels themselves in most cases (it's certainly more cost-effective). They didn't really care about saving energy, they just wanted solar panels as a status symbol. As long as energy remains subsidized and people don't have to pay for the externalities they create by polluting, eco-friendly innovations like hybrid and plug-in electric cars, solar power, and breathable skins will remain of interest only as status symbols and badges of group identity. (as an aside, Europe and Japan seem to do a better job of actually giving people financial incentives to waste less, although people should correct me if my view is naïve)