Fabless semiconductor company Atmosic and organic solar cell manufacturer Epishine have combined forces to create an ultra-thin self-powered beacon. The new beacons will reduce battery waste, help promote battery-free IoT and cut the total cost of IoT ownership.

Both parties produce components for energy harvesting. Atmosic Technologies has designed ultra-low power wireless solutions to reduce power consumption of connected devices. When Atmosic’s ATM3 Bluetooth system-on-chips (SoCs) are combined with Epishine’s indoor solar cell, the beacon can harvest enough energy to operate without any batteries.

According to both firms their partnership demonstrates the possibility for electronics companies to design self-powered devices from IoT sensors and retail solutions (like electronic shelf labels) to consumer electronics.

“Atmosic’s ultra-low-power technology combined with our solar cell’s high performance really shows that there is already a solution for the IoT market’s deployment of billions of sensors. Previous issues regarding sustainability and cost of operating IoT devices on batteries have their solution right here,” said Niklas Forsgren, Head of Product Integration at Epishine.

Epishine’s indoor solar cell is produced in a roll-to-roll process in Sweden. The solar cell is thin and flexible, enabling easy integration with different applications. Helping companies to make IoT devices self-powered is a focus for Epishine given the company’s environmental focus and the potential for sustainability in buildings. With beacons and other connected devices that don’t rely on disposable batteries, buildings can increase their operational efficiency and lower CO2 emissions. The beacons have particular applications in making smart buildings greener as buildings are responsible for 40% of all CO2 emissions globally.

“As sustainability becomes a bigger focus for companies across the globe, we’re seeing a huge demand for energy harvesting solutions that help eliminate battery waste,” said Paul Davis, VP of Product Management at Atmosic Technologies. “By partnering with Epishine, we’re providing our customers with options to reduce the carbon footprint of their self-powered connected devices.”