ABSTRACT
Small-scale energy harvesting is a fast-growing research solution for powering a wireless sensor node. This chapter investigates two types of small-scale hybrid energy harvesting (HEH) schemes: hybrid of wind energy harvesting and solar energy harvesting (SEH) schemes for outdoor application; and hybrid of indoor ambient light and thermal energy harvesting (TEH) schemes for indoor application. It discusses the use of one energy storage device for simultaneous charging from two energy sources and to develop a miniaturized HEH system for portability and concealment in security applications. The proposed HEH system requires only one power management unit to condition the combined output power harvested from the solar and thermal energy sources. The experimental setup for the SEH subsystem is constructed to simulate sunlight in the laboratory with a controlled environment. The chapter illustrates the experimental tests were conducted in accordance with the winter condition of the deployment ground.
