by Bruce Goodman

“Energy harvesters” are tiny devices that could generate enough electricity from arbitrary, non-periodic noise and vibrations to power a watch, heart pacemaker, or wireless sensor.  Examples include traffic driving on bridges, machinery operating in factories, and humans moving their limbs.  The prototype from U of M’s Engineering Research Center for Wireless Integrated Microsystems is one cubic centimeter in size, uses a material that produces a charge when it is stressed, and can generate up to 0.5 milliwatt from typical human body vibration (enough to run a watch).

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by Bruce Goodman

Pro Renewables of Portage, Michigan plans to make it possible for industry to use wasted energy to produce its own electricity. As the Midwest distributor of the 50 kW Green Machine produced by ElectraTherm Inc., the company will be selling and installing the equipment which can capture heat normally wasted in manufacturing and use that heat to create electricity. The ROI on the $150,000 to $200,000 equipment is anticipated to be five years or less (without applying any incentives).

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