The future of MEMS in energy technologies

The 21
^st
century requires innovative solutions to meet the ever increasing demand for ultra portable and highly efficient energy technologies. Micro-electro-mechanical Systems (MEMS) have shown significant promise in providing robust, low-cost transduction capabilities. MEMS sensors and actuators are ideally suited for small-scale energy harvesting and power generation applications where overall device dimensions are critical. Furthermore, MEMS technology can also be harnessed for large scale energy applications by augmenting these systems with sensing and actuation capabilities in order to improve energy efficiency and reduce costs. This paper highlights some current MEMS research for energy applications and also explores some areas of the energy industry which might benefit from integration with MEMS.