Bench Talk

Going green has never been easier thanks to the growing availability of affordable, efficient solar generators. These renewable power sources can power most consumer electronics and even entire homes, making them the perfect choice for anyone looking to reduce their carbon footprint.

Energy harvesting requires a distinction between maximum power and maximum efficiency. Improved conversion efficiency increases power for the same input energy; however, this does not necessarily mean the highest power. Here is how you can maximize the efficiency of MCU energy harvesters.

Modular in design from utility storage to residential, Battery Management Systems are at the heart of renewable energy storage. A well-designed BMS using data to control power input and output is key to maximizing efficiency, safety, and cost.

The movement toward more sustainable solutions motivates design engineers to move beyond finite energy sources toward a fully renewable solution: solar cells. However, design engineers must overcome several challenges to realize this approach in the IoT.

In battery-tied photovoltaic (PV) arrays, charge controllers are a critical component that can drastically impact the operation and overall cost of the system.

Positioned as an alternative, more eco friendly answer to gasoline powered automobiles, there’s been lots of development and coverage on electric/hybrid vehicles. It wasn’t that long ago that the press proclaimed that the Tesla Model S was automotive perfection. (Or, as I would like to say in tribute to Ben Franklin… the tightest kite string in a bad storm with lightning.) All of that led me to wonder, what’s happening in the world of electric bikes or eBikes? After all, May is officially National Bike Month. Anyway, probably the most brilliant scientific and engineering mind ever, Albert Einstein, loved riding bikes. It even laid the groundwork to one of his greatest discoveries.