Design, Fabrication, and Testing of Piezoelectric Energy Harvesters

This Spotlight provides sufficient details regarding experimental work dedicated to the design, fabrication, and testing of piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs) based on a system capable of generating energy with both piezoelectric and pyroelectric effects. The aim is to provide an overview of the energy-harvesting technologies associated with the family of "piezoelectric" materials along with the sub-classes of "pyroelectrics." These materials are very attractive for a number of energy-harvesting applications, including the potential to convert mechanical vibrations directly into electrical energy using the piezoelectric effect and the conversion of thermal fluctuations into electrical energy through the use of the pyroelectric effect.