Project description
New thermoelectric generator solution for low-power IoT applications
The Internet of Things (IoT), which is an integral part of several services and sectors, is key to all digitalisation efforts. This is expected to increase the safety, sustainability, and even competitiveness of our society. A challenge in the continuing development and advancement of IoT is the need for sustainable and long-lasting energy solutions with minimal e-waste. Thermoelectrics (TEs), which could convert ubiquitous waste heat into electricity, are a promising option, but commercially available TEs are often unsustainable and expensive. The ERC-funded SUSTEG project will research and develop an innovative, cost-efficient, flexible, and sustainable TEs solution for powering IoT devices. The device will be made of exclusively environmentally friendly materials to minimise e-waste.
Objective
The Internet of Things (IoT), where everyday objects sense their environment and communicate with each other, is a key drive of digitalization expected to make our society safer, more sustainable, and more competitive. The full deployment of the IoT requires sustainable and long-lasting energy solutions to minimize e-waste. Thermoelectrics (TEs) can convert the ubiquitous waste heat into electricity and could complement or even replace batteries to meet the renewable energy needs of IoT nodes. However, commercially available TEs are expensive, rely on raw critical materials, and present a limiting form factor (small, rigid, and flat) preventing their application on curved and dynamic surfaces.
This research proposes the development of cost-effective and sustainable flexible TEs to power IoT devices. The devices will involve exclusively environmentally friendly materials, namely conducting polymers dissolved in non-toxic solvents, along with a compostable substrate to minimize e-waste. Fabrication will be carried out using brush and inkjet printing, performed at ambient conditions and temperatures below 150 °C. The process flow will be limited to 5-6 simple steps, avoiding post-treatment with harmful chemicals or energy-intensive procedures. Despite their minimalistic processing, the devices performance will be comparable to the state-of-the-art organic TE generators. They will generate a ~ 100 nW/cm^2 from a temperature difference of 20 K, a condition easily met in daily life scenarios such as contact with a wall heater, proximity to a motor, or mounted on human or pets skin. This power density over surface areas of a few cm^2 is sufficient to operate low-power IoT edge devices like low-sense rate accelerometers, pacemakers, RFID tags, thermometers, or light sensors.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences computer and information sciences internet internet of things
- natural sciences chemical sciences polymer sciences
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering sensors
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-POC
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
3000 LEUVEN
Belgium
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.