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.
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