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As the number of connected devices in smart homes and buildings continues to grow, so too does an unintended consequence: battery waste. With EU government estimates suggesting that tens of millions of batteries from IoT devices are discarded globally every day, the environmental and economic cost of powering these systems is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Powering smart buildings sustainably: how energy harvesting is replacing batteries in IoT
E nergy harvesting is poised to transform the way we power IoT devices and eliminate the need for disposable batteries altogether. A sustainable alternative for a battery-heavy market Energy harvesting enables electronic systems to capture and convert ambient energy from their surroundings – light, vibration, heat – into usable electricity. For smart buildings and homes, where sensors and actuators are ubiquitous, this approach presents a compelling alternative to traditional power sources. e-peas has developed a range of power management ICs that make energy harvesting not only feasible, but scalable and cost-effective. These devices allow developers to replace or reduce the use of primary batteries in applications like
presence detectors, CO₂ monitors, wireless remote controls, and energy sensors. The company’s Ambient Energy Manager (AEM) family of PMICs lies at the heart of this shift, offering the ability to efficiently capture and manage energy from photovoltaic, thermoelectric, piezoelectric or RF sources. This eliminates the need for frequent battery replacements, cutting both maintenance costs and environmental impact. Why energy harvesting, and why now? The push toward energy autonomy is gaining traction not just from a sustainability standpoint, but also due to mounting regulatory pressure. The EU’s EnABLES programme has been vocal about the need for energy harvesting in IoT, advocating that batteries should
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