The "IDTechEx Show!" in Santa Clara, California, November 16-17 is the world's most comprehensive event for those seeking to use or make energy harvesting (EH) devices and systems and for those developing the functional materials or considering investing in this vibrant industry. www.EnergyHarvestingUSA.com - full agenda launched!
It comes at a time when EH is no longer seen as primarily for powering wireless sensor nodes in competition with one cent batteries. The focus now is on the need for a commercially available micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) vibration harvester, for a hassle free, lightweight way of perpetually powering the new wearable technology, demanding bendable or truly flexible and lightweight EH. How can we provide green, fit-and-forget Internet of Things nodes requiring mW to watt levels of power for their multiple sensors, microprocessors and transceivers? Can we invent widely acceptable energy harvesting for a mobile phone or an electric car? Vehicles are headed to be Energy Independent Vehicles (EIV) by land water and air where the key enabling technology is no longer the battery but the multiple ways of harvesting wind, infrared and light from outside and preventing wasted heat and movement inside by creating regeneratively large amounts of electricity.
At the event there is an energy harvesting conference, an energy harvesting Masterclass and many exhibitors involved in energy harvesters and their materials. Speakers and exhibitors include Hanergy subsidiary Alta Devices with feather light photovoltaics generating twice the amount of electricity. This is the basis of Hanergy's energy independent cars from China - four models due in 2020 and here from something similar planned in Australia. See the world record holding solar racer on display from the Netherlands, for this is truly a global event.
There is even energy harvesting in the parallel conference, "Electric Vehicles: Everything is Changing". Using a new form of energy harvesting - triboelectricity invented only four years ago - the University of Wisconsin-Madison will convince us that they are learning how your car tires will significantly contribute to charging your EV battery. Hear about electret energy harvesting first commercialised in Japan less than a year ago. In short, an amazing new toolkit of technologies is being applied to much larger potential markets than those addressed in the past. Billion dollar companies will be created to match the $2.5 billion Fitbit in wearables that has appeared in only a few years to take just one example.
Even wave power is moving from clanking rusting mechanics to such new energy harvesting such as the new dielectric elastomer monster worms or triboelectric wave blankets each producing one megawatt in the road map. Structural electronics and smart materials like this are a major focus of the event. Come and learn and see the new energy harvesting at this unique event with 3500 paying delegates, 250 exhibitors, 300 presenters in nine conferences and over 20 masterclasses on the days before and after those two days. It is in the futuristic Silicon Valley for a reason. www.EnergyHarvestingUSA.com 
