In part 1 of the series I discussed the practical difficulties for widespread energy harvesting adoption. In this second and last part, I will go through some ways that I believe would make widespread adoption easier and faster. The number of applications is huge and I would say that it is wise to divide them in small and large scale.
Small scale harvesting would include all devices installed in homes or buildings that are in the form of modules of the larger electrical system. Large scale applications would be more complicated and involve a multitude of harvesting modules combined in a larger harvesting system to be installed from the start of construction, like for example in a train station.
In any case, I want to look at things from the consumer point of view with the simplest and first remarks that come to mind:
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If I ever wanted to install a harvesting module, I would like to have the harvesting functionality integrated. For example, for a revolving door with a harvesting mechanism, I would like to be able to buy a model involving a clean and quick installation, that can do what I want it to do without modifications. This means it would be easier to compare prices with traditional models and that installation is a simple matter -except for the electrical connectivity part. As consumers, we are so spoiled with out-of-the-box functionality, that demanding from customers any form of modification would probably lead to commercial failure. Read the rest of this entry »
