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.