Energy Harvesting Helps Power Sensors for the Internet of Things
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Energy harvesting can power the many sensors that are associated with the Internet of Things, says Terry Pennisi, CEO and founder of Jennova in this podcast interview (click on the player above to listen).
When there’s energy available as the result of fans or motors running, this energy can be harvested to power things like sensors that send data to the Internet, he explains.
“You have waste energy available, and you harvest it to make it useable, for example, for the Internet of Things,” Pennisi says in the interview.
Energy harvesting can power sensors that provide valuable real-time information to the Internet, he says. Or, energy harvesting can power things like LED flashlights, he says.
Basically, the technology can be hooked up to anything rotating, like a fan, he explains. “We attach magnets to generate sharp pulses. Our circuit amplifies the pulses.” The harvesters collect and store energy that can power many different types of devices.
About the Author
Lisa Cohn
Contributing Editor
I focus on the West Coast and Midwest. Email me at [email protected]
I’ve been writing about energy for more than 20 years, and my stories have appeared in EnergyBiz, SNL Financial, Mother Earth News, Natural Home Magazine, Horizon Air Magazine, Oregon Business, Open Spaces, the Portland Tribune, The Oregonian, Renewable Energy World, Windpower Monthly and other publications. I’m also a former stringer for the Platts/McGraw-Hill energy publications. I began my career covering energy and environment for The Cape Cod Times, where Elisa Wood also was a reporter. I’ve received numerous writing awards from national, regional and local organizations, including Pacific Northwest Writers Association, Willamette Writers, Associated Oregon Industries, and the Voice of Youth Advocates. I first became interested in energy as a student at Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, where I helped design and build a solar house.
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