Energy harvesting refers to the process of capturing and converting energy from the surroundings to electricity. The energy can either be used immediately or be stored for future use.
Harvesting Solar Energy
Solar energy is commonly harvested using photovoltaic cells ( PV cells). Photovoltaic cells convert light energy (from the sun) directly into electricity = “photovoltaic effect”.
Harvesting Kinetic Energy
Kinetic energy is harvested using piezoelectric transducers. Piezoelectric transducers produce electricity from kinetic energy in the form of vibrations, sounds or movements.
Harvesting Thermal Energy
A thermoelectric harvesting system consists of a thermoelectric generator (TEG) which consists of several thermocouples that are connected in series to a common heat source. This heat source could be a water heater, engine,
solar panel, etc.
Harvesting RF energy
A radio frequency power harvesting system can capture and convert electromagnetic energy into a usable direct current (DC) voltage. The key units of an RF power harvesting system are the antenna and rectifier circuit that allows the RF power or alternating current (AC) to be converted into DC energy.