About the Energy Harvesting Network

What is Energy Harvesting?

Energy harvesting is a means of powering wireless electronic devices by scavenging many low grade ambient energy sources such as environmental vibrations, human power, thermal and solar, and their conversion into useable electrical energy. EH devices are therefore potentially attractive as replacements for primary batteries in low power wireless sensor nodes. They also hold the promise of one day enabling the powering of a range of devices not currently possible including implantable and wearable medical devices.

Network Activities

The network will work to define new research challenges and help catalyse collaborative research proposals. It will also ensure better and broader dissemination on the current and future capabilities of energy harvesting technologies to all potential users in both industry and academia.

The following activities will be delivered:

• an initial steering board recruited from the research and user community will be established to drive the activities to define the new research themes
• network members will be recruited
• links will be built with other relevant networks and organisations
• visits to research groups and key major research facilities will be arranged
• 3 facilitated themed workshops will be held to explore both cross cutting technology challenges and applications domains and will draw out the specific research challenges that need to be met
• the set of research challenges will be published so as to inform research funders (e.g. EPSRC, MRC, EC FP7, TSB) and also to act as a focus for the submission of proposals.
• multidisciplinary consortia will be encouraged to develop around the topics within the research themes already identified and helping them to submit proposals to the relevant funding agencies.
• an interactive web presence will be built to act as a focus for information sharing for this community including the provision of online events, electronic newsletters and a range of resources.
• 3 annual industry-academia dissemination events will be held with international speakers invited
• the network and its findings will be promoted through presentations at various external events and conferences as well as through the provision of articles for the trade press and newsletters of linked networks and organisations
• training courses will be developed and delivered by the network members
• the network will help support the energy harvesting elements of a PowerMEMS Conference and will bid to host an energy harvesting session of at least one broader themed major conference.

Affiliated Networks and Organisations

The following networks and organisations are affiliated with the activities of the Energy Harvesting Network.