Environmentally conscious design of autonomous power supplies for distributed micro-systems

Availability of energy supply and environmental benefits are fundamental requirements for replacement of batteries with energy harvesting systems in future micro-system applications. Environmentally conscious solutions require a profound understanding of the interdependencies between ambient conditions, system-behavior and environmental impacts associated with the specific technology chosen. In this paper we present the results of an environmental evaluation of a thermoelectric and piezoelectric energy harvesting system considering different realistic scenarios of ambient conditions. Screening methods focusing on the material content's toxicity and scarcity are applied to evaluate the proposed solutions in comparison to the conventional use of Li-based batteries.