Feature: Energy harvesting
Advanced automated systems like the Internet of Tings
(IoT) have been identified as a key way to optimise energy consumption and cut waste, with electronic platforms identifying and reducing high-impact consumer behaviour in a target ‘net zero’ energy system. Powering the IoT depends on thousands – potentially even trillions – of small sensors, as systems are increasingly adopted across many sectors, including smart buildings. Sensors currently use battery power, which is unsustainable in the long term, generates hazardous waste, and presents a barrier to widespread IoT adoption. Electronics that harvest ambient energy like light and vibration create sustainable, low-power systems that provide an alternative energy source for the tiny sensors in any setup, including smart buildings. Te University of St. Andrews’ School of Physics and
Astronomy’s Energy Harvesting Research Group is investigating the potential of new ferroelectric materials for novel ambient energy harvesting systems and their conversion mechanisms.
Exploration of new materials for energy harvesting
By Dr Lethy Krishnan Jagadamma, UKRI-Future Leaders Fellow and Reader in Physics, University of St. Andrews, and Clara Ko, Head of Technical Sales, Linkam Scientific Instruments
T
he UK Government’s goal of Net Zero by 2050 aims to eliminate the UK’s contribution to climate change by finding clean alternatives to fossil fuels and removing emissions across society. Counterbalancing the impact of fossil fuels through energy harvesting, or ‘scavenging’ – the process of capturing useful
electricity from existing sources in our surroundings – is starting to reduce our reliance on traditional sources of energy, minimising challenges related to power efficiency, energy storage and a variable supply, to enable self-powered electronic systems that reduce battery dependence and environmental impact.
32 June 2026
www.electronicsworld.co.uk
Sustainable solution Research into new materials and multi-source energy harvesting technologies holds can enhance the efficiency of compact energy harvesters. New ambient energy harvesting methods, or indoor power harvesters, use light energy from artificial light sources, but also from human movement as well as vibrations from electrical appliances. Different energy conversion mechanisms like photovoltaic
conversion (light to electricity), thermo and pyroelectricity conversion (temperature variations to electricity) and piezoelectric conversion (mechanical vibrations and physical motion to electricity) can be used to scavenge ambient energy sources. Developing energy harvesters depends on the availability of
suitable materials, composition engineering and advanced device architectures. Ferroelectric materials are emerging as a potential path to a more sustainable future, because they exist in both bulk and thin film forms, and possess permanent and electrically switchable polarisation properties. In thin film form, ferroelectric materials offer significant potential in energy harvesting and storage, to ultimately support the widespread deployment of IoT systems.
Exploring the potential of ferroelectric materials Oxide perovskite based ferroelectric materials are widely studied, but have limitations. Tey are inherently brittle and contain expensive, toxic and rare materials like zirconium and Hafnium, that require complex processing and are of high supply risk. Tese drawbacks have restricted their uptake in emerging disruptive technologies like the IoT and wearable electronics, which need compact, scalable and ultra-light energy harvesters. Organic ferroelectric materials such as polyvinylidene fluoride
(PVDF) have also been investigated for their mechanical flexibility and toughness, but their application is severely restricted by a low melting point, low spontaneous polarization and a high coercive field. Te inherent challenge of obtaining
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
