5848: Sustainable Electronics for Energy Harvesting Applications

The electronics industry is facing increasing challenges with sustainability and urgently needs to find greener alternatives for many product classes. This is certainly the case for small electronics typically powered by single-use batteries. These range from sensors and interfaces used in Internet of Things (IoT) deployments to devices we use daily, like remote controls, watches, computer mice, etc. Batteries are far from being a good solution for powering small electronics, especially single-use coin cells or alkaline power cells typically used in such devices. This is mostly because of the limited lifespan of batteries, the high costs and burden associated with their replacement, and the social and environmental problems associated with the lifecycle of batteries and respective raw materials such as lithium and cobalt. In short, batteries are bound to represent a clear bottleneck in the massive deployment of IoT devices and a huge environmental problem. Besides, the industry must look into sustainability concerns in other areas, such as the substrates used to produce the printed circuit boards (PCBs) that are inside every electronic device, or the materials used for enclosures and casings. Hence, a resolute stab at sustainability must look into every single component/element of an electronic system and the whole system’s life cycle. In the SELECT project, we will take some of the leading-edge technologies and components within the realm of ultra low power electronics, and the most sustainable options available today, to craft a new batteryless technology platform that can be used to produce wireless IoT devices and small electronics in a sustainable manner. The platform will comprise organic solar cells for indoor light harvesting, radio frequency energy harvesting, sustainable energy storage components (supercapacitors), a biodegradable PCB substrate and the ONiO.zero microcontroller at the heart of energy harvesting management and control.

The electronics industry in general, and the IoT and small electronics segment in particular, is facing increasing challenges with sustainability. The industry still relies on the use of highly polluting (e.g. heavy metals in batteries) and greenhouse gas intensive (e.g. conventional printed circuit board laminates) raw-materials - and their replacement is highly challenging from the technical and cost perspectives. The SELECT project consortium wants to build on leading-edge developments within ultra low power electronics and energy harvesting technology to deliver a truly sustainable alternative for making self-powered electronics for IoT and other small devices (sensors and interfaces). The project aims to develop a new scalable platform for energy harvesting applications based on sustainable electronic components. The platform will integrate an ultra low power microcontroller (ONiO.zero) tailored for energy harvesting, modules for harvesting ambient energy from radio frequency and photovoltaics, and a sustainable supercapacitor option for energy storage. Assembly will be done in a new fully recyclable and biodegradable PCB laminate. The new platform will be able to serve a wide range of IoT and small electronics applications. The two lead applications addressed during the project will be electronic shelf labels and remote controls. The project will generate a platform for sustainable electronics building upon the components supplied by the partners in the consortium. The new solutions will strive for best-in-class technical performance and sustainability profiles, while remaining cost competitive with conventional alternatives. The new platform will boost the market prospects of the partners involved, creating synergies and helping to grow the energy harvesting market.