Abstract
Energy harvesting, micro batteries and power management ICs are in a position to enable the commercial rollout of the next-generation of low-power electronic devices and systems. Low-power devices are being deployed for wireless as well as wired systems such as mesh networks, sensor and control systems, micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), radio frequency identification (RFID) devices, and so on. Applications include building/industrial automation, medical, homeland security, military, commercial, gaming, transportation and others.
Battery maintenance and replacement are often cited as the biggest reason to use energy harvesting. The first markets for these new technologies have been applications where batteries are problematic, such a building and home automation, military and avionic devices, communications and location devices, and transportation. One of the biggest market drivers for energy harvesting could be portable, low-power communications and computer devices, however.
Any company that makes products for portable devices is eligible to benefit from this market opportunity. Many semiconductor companies, for instance, are already making ICs that could fit this space, or they could modify an existing product line. Cell phones, laptops, PDAs and similar devices are evolving in a way that is changing existing power architectures, giving energy harvesting technologies an immediate payoff. These opportunities extend not only to power management ICs, but also energy storage solutions such as thin-film batteries, microgenerators, capacitors and other emerging technologies.
Cost and manufacturability will be key drivers for the adoption of energy harvesting, particularly for consumer devices. Low cost is very important in residential applications, for instance. Certain technical issues are important, such as getting reasonable power density from energy harvesting devices. A perceived lack of reliability could also pose a commercial threat.
Energy harvesting commercial production is already hitting volume numbers, but hundreds of millions of units are expected within the next two to three years. Semiconductor companies are taking the lead with power management ICs, and smaller companies (many in Europe) are following with energy harvesting modules and systems. Energy storage companies are introducing new thin-film batteries and microgenerators that work with energy harvesting solutions. With potential markets spanning billion-unit industries, energy harvesting could be "the next big thing" in power.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Applications
- Changing Power Architectures
- Market Drivers
- Energy Harvesting Modules: IC Landscape and Pricing
- Power Management ICs
- Technical Demands
- Power Density
- Commercial Landscape
- Energy Storage
- Microgenerators
- Other Emerging Technologies
- MEMS
