IoT
Energy Harvesting It is largely considered that we have come out of a global energy crisis, pundits peg that period as 2021 to 2023, but globally we sit precariously in 2025 too. It boils down to supply and demand, not enough supply, and the demand for energy, and its prices, go up.
The demand is up because the global population is growing, our lifestyles are digitalising and our innovations are energy hungry. These are just some of the reasons, and so to avoid an impending energy crisis, and in obeyance of the law of conservation energy, which is “Energy can neither be created nor destroyed”, our brightest minds have thought of ways to harvest the energy that ebbs and flows all around us. Energy harvesting for IoT (Internet of Things) involves capturing energy from the environment, like light or heat, and converting it into usable electricity to power IoT devices, potentially eliminating the need for batteries or wired connections, usually to operate low- energy electronics. Energy harvesting is not a new concept. Think kinetic watches, the watches that rely on the wearer’s movement to self-wind. This movement is converted into electrical energy, and stored in a rechargeable battery.
Why it’s important for IoT IoT devices often operate in remote or hard-to-access locations, making traditional battery replacements or wiring impractical. Energy harvesting offers a sustainable and maintenance-free solution for powering these devices. Energy can be harvested from various sources, including solar power, thermal energy, motion, and even radio frequency waves. Specialised devices, called harvesters, convert these ambient energy sources into electrical energy. An interface circuit optimises the harvested energy for use by the IoT device, ensuring it is at the right voltage and current. The harvested energy can be stored in batteries or supercapacitors for later use. Energy harvesting can power sensors used in smart homes, and even human movement or body heat can power wearable devices like smartwatches and fitness trackers. IoT devices already using energy harvesting include wearable medical devices, environment sensors, RFID tags, and battery-less asset tags. Crisis over? Perhaps not for now, but one day.
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