Batteries are known to be one of the most toxic wastes on the planet, and they are almost ubiquitous, used in many IoT products and solutions. It is estimated that by 2025, the number of IoT device batteries discarded every day will reach 78 million, which will undoubtedly have a huge negative impact on the environment. Fortunately, many green energy technologies are trying to solve this problem, such as Zigbee Green Power.
Zigbee Green Power is an open technology standard that enables ultra-low power or battery-free IoT communications. The technology compresses IoT communication data and delivers it reliably over a Zigbee mesh network, far beyond the transmission range of the ultra-low power/passive device itself.
You may be asking, how does a communication network operate without a power source or battery? The answer lies in the design of Zigbee Green Power so that it requires only a very small amount of energy to support message transmission. This energy can come from batteries, but it can also be obtained through other means, such as energy harvesting, where just a needle falling to the ground or a single LED light glowing produces enough energy to transmit multiple wireless messages using Green Power technology. This has the advantage of significantly extending the battery life of battery-powered devices; even better, Green Power devices can also be completely battery-free, and the kinetic energy collected at the push of a button can generate the energy needed to drive the radio transmission.
The technical specifications for the Zigbee Green Power standard were finalized in June 2018, and since then some 1,200 devices have been certified, including more than 120 last year. While they were initially geared toward commercial use, particularly in energy management, more and more Green Power devices are entering the smart home space, expanding the environmental benefits they bring.
A search for Zigbee Green Power devices will reveal a wide variety of light switches, smart plugs, door sensors, and curtain switches for home and yard use, with more popping up every day.
As the technology moves forward, we expect to see members develop more new Green Power devices and solutions that are inherently ultra-low-power and capable of harvesting energy from the environment in which they operate – Whether it is heat, light, or kinetic energy.
Over the past decade, with the popularity of smart speakers, smart lighting and smart door locks, homes around the world have gradually become “smarter”. The home automation network formed by these smart products makes life more convenient, safe and comfortable.
While the goal of the next decade is to make homes not only smarter, but more “green,” batteries, and even mains power, are increasingly excluded. With the good momentum achieved so far and the popularity of various solutions such as Zigbee Green Power, it is believed that this goal will be achieved.