On the comparison of energy sources: Feasibility of radio frequency and ambient light harvesting

Abstract

With growing interest in multi source energy harvesting including integrated microchips we propose a comparison of radio frequency (RF) and solar energy sources in a typical city. Harvesting devices for RF and solar energy will be competing for space of a compact micro or nano device as well as for orientation with respect to the energy source. This is why it is important to investigate importance of every source of energy and make a decision whether it will be worthwhile to include such harvesters. We considered theoretically possible irradiance by RF signal in different situations, typical for the modern urban environment and compared it with ambient solar energy sources available through the night, including moon light.Our estimations show that solar light energy dominates by far margin practically all the time, even during the night, if there is a full moon in the absence of clouds. At the same time, in the closed compartments or at the new moon RF harvesting can be beneficial as a source of "free" energy.

Enhanced pyroelectric and piezoelectric properties of PZT with aligned porosity for energy harvesting applications

“… 1 – 3 Among the wide variety of potential sources of ambient energy, the harvesting of energy from vibrations, movement, sound and heat is considered to be a highly promising energy harvesting technology. 4 – 6 …”

“…This stems from the ability of harvesting systems to provide a route for the realization of autonomous and selfpowered low-power electronic devices 1-3 . Among the wide variety of potential sources of ambient energy, the harvesting of energy from vibrations, movement, sound and heat are considered to be highly promising energy harvesting technologies [4][5][6] .…”

Efficient transfer of metallophosphor excitons via confined polaritons in organic nanocrystals

“…Artificial light-harvesting systems of organic selfassembled crystals have attracted considerable research interests due to their potential applications in solar energy and micro electronics. [1][2][3] Inspired by the ultra-high efficient energy transfer (over 95%) in natural plants and photosynthetic bacteria, the light-harvesting nanocrystal systems, including those assembled by transition metal with different ligands, have been extensively studied. [4][5][6] Vast numbers of light-absorbing antennas (donors) and rapid transfer of excitations to a small number of acceptors are the key features observed in these systems.…”

Powering the Internet of Things through Light Communication

“…Moreover, as light is ubiquitous, it is an ideal source for energy harvesting compared to other sources such as temperature difference, movement, or radio frequency (RF), and its higher-efficiency energy harvester technology (i.e., solar cells) results in compact and lower-cost solutions [2].…”