Energy harvesting is an attractive option for providing long-term power, and at low or even no cost, for circuits and systems, especially when battery replacement is impractical. However, as with almost all design options, it's simple in concept but brings issues, tradeoffs, and constraints in implementation. Despite its initial attractiveness, energy harvesting is not a “something for nothing” design option. However, it may be a “something for very little” option, or perhaps it's the only feasible option for some challenging installations.
This series is in the Power Management section of our Series Library.
This series was developed by Sam Davis, the editor of Power Electronics magazine. Power Electronics is now part of Electronic Design.
Part 1: The Power Supply:
Part 2: Semiconductors:
Part 3: Semiconductor Switches:
Part 4: Power Applications: