Ambient Energy Harvesting Market Size, Share, and Industry Analysis, By Technology (Light Energy Harvesting, Vibration Energy Harvesting, Thermal or Pyro-electric Energy Harvesting, and Radio Frequency (RF) Energy Harvesting), By Power Source (Wind, Solar, and Industrial), By Application (Power Wireless Sensor Systems, Wearable Electronics, and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2025-2032

Ambient energy harvesting, also known as energy scavenging or power harvesting, involves capturing energy from the environment and converting it into electrical power. This approach is especially beneficial for small, wireless, and portable devices that have low power requirements. It’s applied in wireless sensor networks, wearable electronics, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

The increasing demand for Internet of Things (IoT) devices is one of the driving factors for the ambient energy harvesting market. IoT devices are integral components of modern smart systems, ranging from smart homes and cities to industrial automation and healthcare monitoring. These devices mostly operate in remote areas or hard-to-reach locations where conventional power sources are impractical. Ambient energy harvesting offers an ideal solution by converting energy from various environmental sources such as light, heat, and vibrations into electrical power, ensuring these devices can operate autonomously for extended periods. Hence, the growing traction toward the ambient energy harvesting solution is leading to increased investment in R&D activities, further attributing the market growth. For instance, e-peas, a company based in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, has secured around USD 19 million in funding. Specializing in ultra-low power management for energy harvesting, e-peas has developed innovative technologies that capture ambient energy from sources, such as light, radio frequencies, temperature differences, and vibrations.

Ambient energy sources often provide inconsistent power levels, which may not be sufficient for all applications, particularly those requiring continuous or high power. This inconsistency and limitation in power output make it difficult to rely solely on ambient energy harvesting for devices requiring a steady and substantial energy supply. Thus, the inconsistent power output from the ambient sources acts as a restraining factor for market growth.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a mixed impact on the market. The pandemic disrupted global supply chains, causing delays in the production and deployment of energy harvesting technologies due to shortages of components and raw materials. Many research and development activities were also paused or slowed down due to lockdowns and restrictions, consequently providing a negative impact on the market. However, the pandemic accelerated the adoption of IoT devices and remote monitoring systems across various sectors, such as healthcare, logistics, and smart cities, to ensure continuity and safety during the crisis, which had a positive impact on the market.

Key INSIGHTS

The report includes the following key findings:

• Recent Advances in the Ambient Energy Harvesting Market
• Key industry trends
• Regulatory Landscape for the Ambient Energy Harvesting Market
• Key Industry Developments (Mergers, Acquisitions, and Partnerships)

SEGMENTATION

ANALYSIS BY TECHNOLOGY

Based on the technology, the market is divided into light energy harvesting, vibration energy harvesting, thermal or pyro-electric energy harvesting, and radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting. The light energy harvesting segment holds a significant share in the market due to the utilization of photovoltaic materials for converting light energy into electrical energy. The easy and extensive availability of sunlight also plays a crucial role in its dominant market share.

The vibration energy harvesting segment holds a considerable share as it utilizes piezoelectric materials, which produce an electrical charge when subjected to mechanical stress or vibrations. It is frequently utilized in applications for wearable electronics, wireless sensor networks, and structural health monitoring.

Thermal energy harvesting, also known as pyro-electric energy harvesting, is expected to grow rapidly as it relies on thermoelectric materials, which use temperature differences to produce power. It’s mainly applicable in building automation, transportation, and industrial automation.

The RF energy harvesting segment captures and transforms ambient radio waves into valuable electrical energy, which is further used for powering low-power wireless devices and sensors.

ANALYSIS BY POWER SOURCE

The market is segmented by power source into wind, solar, and industrial. The solar segment holds the dominant share in the market owing to its widespread availability, technological maturity, and scalability. Additionally, the increasing number of companies involved in the production of solar products for building automation, consumer electronics, and security applications will lead to the growth of the solar power segment.

The wind segment is expected to grow considerably over the forecast period owing to the continuous improvements in turbine efficiency and the development of smaller, more versatile turbines suitable for ambient energy applications.

The industrial segment is expected to grow at the fastest rate as it involves capturing residual energy from industrial processes, such as vibrations, heat, or mechanical movements, which are generally wasted.

ANALYSIS BY APPLICATION

Based on the end user, the ambient energy harvesting market is segmented into wireless sensor systems, wearable electronics, and others. The wireless sensor systems segment holds the dominant share in the market owing to the rising adoption of IoT technologies in industrial automation, smart buildings, and consumer electronics. In addition, the rising sustainability efforts in the building sector are also increasing the demand for ambient energy harvesting for powering sensors.

The wearable electronics segment is projected to grow steadily owing to the rising demand for technologies in these devices to enhance their battery life and reduce the need for frequent charging.

REGIONAL ANALYSIS

The ambient energy harvesting market has been studied across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

Europe holds a significant share of the market due to the stringent regulations and ambitious targets for reducing carbon emissions set by the European Union. The European countries have been also one of the fastest growing nations in renewable energies which would have a positive impact on the market.

North America is the second-leading region in the market due to the presence of growing R&D activities in ambient energy harvesting technologies.

Asia Pacific is projected to grow at the fastest rate in the market due to the rising demand for wearable electronics coupled with population expansion and industrial automation growth. In addition, the region is witnessing huge investments in renewable energies, which would positively impact market growth in the region.

Latin America will grow positively in the coming years owing to the rising investment in renewable energy initiatives to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and mitigate climate change.

The Middle East & Africa are expected to provide opportunistic growth in the market as this region has abundant solar resources, with many countries experiencing high levels of sunlight throughout the year. Solar energy harvesting technologies, including photovoltaic panels and concentrated solar power systems, hold immense potential for power generation in the region.

KEY PLAYERS COVERED

Key players in the global ambient energy harvesting market are Arveni, Convergence Wireless, Cymbet Corporation, Powercast Corporation, Texas Instruments Incorporated, Fujitsu Limited, ABB Ltd., Honeywell International Inc., STMicroelectronics N.V., and EnOcean GmbH.

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS

• In January 2024, Dracula Technologies unveiled LAYER®Vault at CES 2024. It’s specifically designed for low-power Internet of Things (IoT) devices; LAYER®Vault integrates low-light organic photovoltaic (OPV) energy harvesting and electrical storage into a single flexible film, addressing both capture and storage needs simultaneously.
• In January 2024, SMK Electronics introduced two products: a geolocation tracker and a CR2032 coin cell replacement featuring its Self-Contained Power Supply (SCPS) energy-harvesting technology. The SCPS LoRaWAN Tracker offers precise locations via GNSS and Wi-Fi, along with additional sensors for monitoring environmental factors, such as motion, sound, light level, and air quality. With its self-contained power and diverse sensor array, the tracker is ideal for transportation, manufacturing, logistics, and smart agriculture.