Piezoelectric MEMS Vibration Energy Harvesters: Renewable Energy Source in the Portable Era (I2I Phase - Market Assessment)

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Energy harvesting from the environment is a promising solution to sustainable power supplies for low-power consumer electronic applications. Among available resources in the surroundings such as solar, thermal, etc., energy harvesting from vibrations by using micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) energy harvesters has been gaining increasingly more attention due to high power density, ease of energy trapping, and ubiquity in the ambient environment. We have been working on MEMS-based piezoelectric energy harvesting from ambient vibrations since 2015. Thus far, we have designed and built many highly-efficient piezoelectric MEMS energy harvesters for collecting and converting mechanical energy to electricity for powering up low-voltage low-power electronic devices (e.g., battery-free Internet-of-Things (IoT) sensors). To support this objective, we have developed innovative systematic methodologies for optimizing piezoelectric MEMS energy harvesters. To help commercialize our developed technology, in this project we propose to leverage the services from Adventus Research + Consulting Inc. for the purposes of conducting market research and technology validation. We will seek for the following information: an independent assessment of the technology versus what is currently available in the market, to identify and characterize potential target markets, to identify specific market players for potential partnership / licensing, and to build on existing market assessment conducted to date. With such independent market assessment from a third-party organization, we can more objectively understand the pros and cons of our developed technology towards market status and commercialization opportunities. Based on the market assessment in this project, our continued commercialization strategy includes further market practice and technology enhancement. This project will be beneficial to Newfoundland and Labrador, and in turn to Canada by introducing our developed MEMS vibration energy harvesting technology to the market for both technology advancement and associated commercial advantages.