Internet of things (IoT) is a revolutionizing technology which aims to create an ecosystem of connected objects and embedded devices and provide ubiquitous connectivity between trillions of not only smart devices but also simple sensors and actuators. Although recent advancements in miniaturization of devices with higher computational capabilities and ultra-low power communication technologies have enabled the vast deployment of sensors and actuators everywhere, such an evolution calls for fundamental changes in hardware design, software, network architecture, data analytic, data storage and power sources. A large portion of IoT devices cannot be powered by batteries only anymore, as they will be installed in hard to reach areas and regular battery replacement and maintenance are infeasible. A viable solution is to scavenge and harvest energy from environment and then provide enough energy to the devices to perform their operations. This will significantly increase the device life time and eliminate the need for the battery as an energy source. This survey aims at providing a comprehensive study on energy harvesting techniques as alternative and promising solutions to power IoT devices. We present the main design challenges of IoT devices in terms of energy and power and provide design considerations for a successful implementations of self-powered IoT devices. We then specifically focus on piezoelectric energy harvesting and RF energy harvesting as most promising solutions to power IoT devices and present the main challenges and research directions. We also shed light on the security challenges of energy harvesting enabled IoT systems and green big data.

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Human society is experiencing a rapidly changing environment in which energy shortages and an ongoing climate crisis have been identified as two of the major challenges to the sustainable development of human civilization. In the face of these challenges, the concept of a smart city is proposed which aims at achieving sustainable development, increasing the quality of life, and improving the cost‐effectiveness of existing and new energy infrastructures. To this end, this study proposes a general framework with a three‐tier story chart for guiding the establishment of sustainability assessment models and the selection of their indicators. In addition, a quantitative analysis method is developed for assessing the sustainability of energy infrastructures in a smart city, which indicates how the long‐term sustainability of the energy infrastructure can be achieved. The proposed method incorporates extensive environmental, economic, and social indicators, which go beyond conventional facility‐level criteria and seamlessly relate to the broader community that benefits from the renewable energy transition (including energy construction, operations, and energy services). The proposed methodologies can be implemented through collecting the corresponding history data of the indicators and following the analysis procedures presented in this study. The proposed methodology can serve as a supporting tool for decision‐making on new infrastructure investment and policymaking toward sustainable development. Case studies in Western Sydney were carried out to demonstrate the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed methodologies.