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Energy Harvesting IoT:
From Upfront Costs to
Infrastructure-Grade Investments
Over the past decade, the economics of the Internet of Things (IoT), especially in
low-power networks such as LoRaWAN, have changed significantly. In the early
days, many organizations focused almost entirely on the bill of materials (BOM)
and the upfront price of sensors. It didn't take long to realize that ongoing
maintenance, like regular battery replacements, could easily outweigh the original
cost of the devices.
Meanwhile, the IoT market itself has grown up. What once started as small-scale
pilots with uncertain returns has evolved into large-scale, proven deployments
that deliver measurable business value. Together, these shifts, the focus on total
cost of ownership (TCO) and the maturation of the IoT ecosystem have reframed
sensor networks as long-term infrastructure investments rather than short-term
experiments.
This article explores how integrating energy harvesting, particularly ambient light,
into LoRaWAN devices reinforces this shift by extending device lifespans,
reducing TCO, and preserving the long-term value of IoT infrastructure.
LoRa Alliance
®
Contributing LoRa Alliance Member: The Things Industries
®
Introduction
