Alternative Energy

There are many viable reasons for considering an alternative energy solution to power new designs, especially for those with ultra-low power requirements. Lower total cost of ownership, environmental benefits, and ease of implementation are just some of the many benefits that alternative energy sources can bring.

A solar-powered home is probably the most economical and practical use for an alternative energy at this point in time. The long term savings of not having to constantly depend on the energy grid easily outweighs the initial setup costs.

Small scale wind power generation schemes have been used for household electricity generation in conjunction with battery storage over many decades, especially in remote areas. Nowadays, equipments such as wireless Internet gateways are being powered by wind turbines, replacing the need for a connection to the power grid.

It is easy to think of all alternative energy as giant wind farms or hydro plants, but many alternative energy sources can be as simple as a single solar cell powering a remote sensor and wireless transmitter. As well as solar power, piezoelectric and thermoelectric generators can harvest vibration and thermal energy to generate enough electricity to power a simple circuit. Such energy harvesting schemes have now been widely employed in environmental and geological data sensing applications.