Energy harvesting in the energy transition: An assessment of potential energy sources, energy potential and applications

Energy harvesting also called energy scavenging refers the capture of energy dissipated into the environment and converting it usually in small amounts to electricity for different applications hence an important function in sustainable and renewable energy technology. Energy harvesting exploits ambient energy sources like solar, wind, sound, vibrations, radio waves, trees, radio waves, and the human beings by converting them to useful energy often in form of electricity for local application by microsystems. The conversion is achieved using different technologies based on energy resource, applications and power density using. The technologies employed include thermoelectric, triboelectric, electromagnetic induction, piezoelectric effect, electrostatic effect, photoelectric effect, and induction. This study undertakes an overview of current and potential energy sources for harvesting, their power densities, potential harvesting system, applications and the current and future status as a way of establishing their sustainability and possible role in the energy transition. The paper investigates the possible sources of energy for recovery and related the energy recovery technologies. The paper also determines that energy densities of common energy sources for harvesting. With the evolving energy and climate crisis, it has become crucial to develop clean and renewable energy options and technology for humanity. There is growing demand for small-scale energy as well as largescale energy from renewable natural resources including waste energy in various forms to meet the growing energy needs for the trillions of sensors and devices for applications like in the Internet of Things (IoT) and wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Using different harvesting technologies. Energy harvesting is one of the most rapidly growing emerging technologies, used as a cutting-edge technology for use in the capture of wasted energy from the environment for use in multiple applications for higher efficiency in primary energy use. Dissipated energy may be harvested and converted into electricity and put to useful uses or stored for later use in storage batteries or other devices like super capacitors. This study identifies and examines potential energy sources of recoverable energy for harvesting, identifies and proposes potential harvesting methods, in a bottom up approach from the sources to feasible uses. New and innovative sources of energy and methods for the capture and use of wasted energy from the environment are identified and established. The developments in nanotechnology and integration of various energy-harvesting sauces and harvesting technology as well as advances in artificial intelligence and the smart grid technology promise to significantly transform energy harvesting and make it viable for large-scale deployment and application of energy harvesting. The study demonstrated that developments in nano-generators, biodegradable and eco-friendly materials, multi-source energy harvesting technologies, infrastructure, and development of flexible and wearable energy harvesters would define the future of energy harvesting.