| Topics covered include: | | | | the mix. Wireless sensor mesh networks provided |
| • Commercialization Status | | | | challenges that energy harvesting could meet, |
| • Application Trends | | | | particularly where battery use was limited or |
| • Power Levels | | | | problematic. Energy efficiency, the Smart Grid, radio |
| • Energy Storage Trends | | | | frequency ID, and thin-film batteries all helped to |
| • Energy Harvesting Technologies | | | | advance energy harvesting solutions. |
| • Packaging and Materials | | | | The question now is whether energy harvesting will |
| • Value Proposition and Cost Analysis | | | | remain a niche application or enable emerging |
| • Standards Update | | | | applications such as wireless medical devices, |
| • nanoPower Forum: A Review of Key | | | | environmental monitoring, and tire pressure sensing. |
| Developments | | | | Demand can be measured by the kind and amount of |
| Energy harvesting has been "emerging" for several | | | | products that are introduced for emerging applications. |
| years, but the technology is now poised to break out | | | | This was true for digital power management and |
| commercially, driven by developments in areas that | | | | control, which started with IC makers and moved into |
| are, themselves, emerging applications. The market got | | | | ac-dc and dc-dc converters. Pricing is always a critical |
| its initial acceptance in wireless building automation and | | | | crossover point, as well. Digital pricing had to reach |
| control, with deployments in Europe. These | | | | parity with analog pricing. |
| opportunities spread to North America, where home | | | | The energy harvesting market for more years than |
| automation and control technologies were added to | | | | other analyst firms. In 2005, we recognized the |
| the mix. Wireless sensor mesh networks provided | | | | potential of this technology to both capitalize on, and |
| challenges that energy harvesting could meet, | | | | transform, the small but growing wireless sensor |
| particularly where battery use was limited or | | | | market. After working with a number of North |
| problematic. Energy efficiency, the Smart Grid, radio | | | | American and European companies, this current report |
| frequency ID, and thin-film batteries all helped to | | | | is the third edition of our Energy Harvesting report |
| advance energy harvesting solutions. | | | | series. It also identified key industry issues and players, |
| It has identified the following drivers for | | | | and brought them together with the international |
| ultra-low-power: | | | | nanoPower Forum (nPF). Now heading into its fourth |
| • Bi-directionality, including data rates and range. | | | | year, nPF will be held in May, 2010. This experience |
| • Network security, primarily data integrity. | | | | provides unique and useful insight into a market that is |
| • Real time monitoring. | | | | ready to break out of its emerging status. |
| • Environmental regulations. | | | | Evidence exists that the "crossover" from the |
| • Remote communication with "host" system. | | | | "Introduction" phase to the "Growth" phase will take |
| • Proliferation of sensor mesh networks. | | | | place in the 2009/10 timeframe. This is based on |
| Evidence exists that the "crossover" from the | | | | product introductions from EnOcean that started in |
| "Introduction" phase to the "Growth" phase will take | | | | 2002. By 2005, the second generation of products |
| place in the 2009/10 timeframe. The appearance of | | | | was introduced and other companies were offering |
| third-generation products often signals the crossover | | | | new products, as well. In 2006, Electronica featured |
| into the Growth phase. Based on the timeline and | | | | many European companies that had first generation |
| company activity of EnOcean Alliance members and | | | | products, while EnOcean was already on the second |
| over 200 other organizations and companies, energy | | | | generation. In November, 2009, the EnOcean Alliance |
| harvesting is poised for commercial adoption, with | | | | publicized their energy harvesting standard, which |
| market share increasing. The time it will spend in the | | | | presently contains 50 equipment profiles supporting the |
| Growth phase is hard to predict at this point, but this | | | | development of a variety of solutions for building |
| phase is marked by rapid acceleration in sales and | | | | automation. The size of the installations is increasing, |
| significant gains in market share, overall. It will present a | | | | and third-generation products have appeared in 2009. |
| good opportunity for makers of energy harvesting | | | | As noted above, the appearance of third-generation |
| solutions. | | | | products often signals the crossover into the Growth |
| Executive Summary | | | | phase. Based on the timeline and company activity of |
| Energy harvesting has been "emerging" for several | | | | the EnOcean Alliance members, energy harvesting is |
| years, but the technology is now poised to break out | | | | poised for commercial adoption, with market share |
| commercially, driven by developments in areas that | | | | increasing. The time it will spend in the Growth phase is |
| are, themselves, emerging applications. The market got | | | | hard to predict at this point, but this phase is marked |
| its initial acceptance in wireless building automation and | | | | by rapid acceleration in sales and significant gains in |
| control, with deployments in Europe. These | | | | market share, overall. It will present a good opportunity |
| opportunities spread to North America, where home | | | | for makers of energy harvesting solutions. |
| automation and control technologies were added to | | | | |