Energy Harvesting

IDTechEx analyst Dr Laura Baers gives an overview of solar fuels and explains why artificial photosynthesis is still difficult to bring to market.

They call it Airborne Wind Energy (AWE). It started with kites flying higher than a conventional wind turbine to create electricity from the familiar figure of eight trajectory where winds are much stronger and more consistent than those tapped by conventional wind turbines on land or even offshore.

Recently, there has been a sharp increase in development activity with electric aircraft, as examined in the new report from IDTechEx Research, Manned Electric Aircraft 2017-2027.

IDTechEx are at the Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Conference in Sindlefingen, Germany where 48V mild hybrids are rightly a strong focus.

2016 was the year of Li-ion batteries' silver jubilee, a coming of age that has not been hassle-free, as Samsung's Firegate showed us. This year might mark the first significant switch to new materials in the electrolyte compartment, with both large and small companies trying to bring inorganic and polymer electrolytes to commercial fruition.

The technology of Airborne Wind Energy AWE has progressed in leaps and bounds recently as many developers prepare to sell them.

China has already once completely transformed the photovoltaic (PV) industry and maybe about to do so again.

Thermoelectric energy harvester technology developers have had their hands full: they have identified multiple applications from industrial, to automotive, to portable/wearable devices, and are looking to find the perfect balance between power output, operational temperature, cost at volume production, some of the most important considerations when looking to develop a thermoelectric energy harvester.

Exciting business opportunities are emerging from the confusion that has been the Internet of Things industry for the past 10 years.

The transparent conductive film (TCF) industry will leave behind its years of sluggish growth to achieve rapid growth.