energy harvesting

A study by A*STAR Institute of High Performance Computing in Singapore has found that using a layer of graphene could be more efficient and cost effective than a layer of idium tin oxide (ITO) traditionally used in the production of solar panels.

A team of researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a flexible piezoelectric implant that can harvest energy from natural motions within the body. The device has been tested on cows and sheep and has demonstrated that it can harvest enough energy from a beating heart to power a cardiac pacemaker.

Testing has begun on solar cells that contain a layer of carbon nanotubes in hopes to increase the efficiency of solar cells by capturing more of the sun’s rays that usually go to waste.

Research and Markets has published an updated report that assesses the future projections, applications, challenges and major players of piezoelectric energy harvesters. The report provides forecasts for a variety of applications that utilize piezoelectric energy.

A new type of battery that could change the way electricity is stored on the grid is being developed by a team of Harvard scientists and engineers. The new battery technology will make renewable energy sources more economical and reliable than current technology.

A group of researchers at the University of Waterloo are developing technology to turn vibrations into energy as a way to reduce the number of open heart surgeries for people with pacemakers.

Two engineers have developed a way to harvest energy from sound using piezoelectric materials. Stephen Horowitz and Mark Sheplak created an aluminum membrane that is extremely sensitive and has the ability to turn sound vibrations into an electrical charge.

Researchers at Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering have configured inexpensive materials and tuned them to capture microwave signals to design a power-harvesting device with efficiency similar to that of modern solar powers.