Solar Thermal Energy Harvesting IC Manufacturers

This page provides a guide to manufacturers and vendors of Integrated Circuits (ICs) used for solar thermal energy harvesting.

Introduction

Ambient energy sources, such as solar, thermal, radio frequency (RF), and vibration, are abundant in our environment. Energy harvesters are devices that capture these sources and convert them into usable electrical energy. These devices typically consist of transducers and power management circuits.

The power densities available from solar sources range from approximately 10µW to 25mW, while thermal sources can provide approximately 20µW to about 10mW.

Solar harvesting leverages solar irradiance from the sun, using external solar panels to convert sunlight into electrical voltage. The ICs often employ Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithms to extract the maximum possible energy from the solar panel. Selection of an appropriate IC depends on factors such as supported storage devices, input voltage range, and minimum cold start voltage.

Thermal energy harvesting captures heat dissipated by machines or electronic/electrical components.

Solar and Thermal Energy Harvesting IC Manufacturers and Vendors

The following table lists several vendors and manufacturers of solar and thermal energy harvesting ICs.