DFM8001 indoor energy harvesting kit harnesses solar energy (and mechanical, thermal, RF energy with extra hardware)

DFRobot DFM8001 indoor ambient energy harvesting kit can power IoT devices by harnessing solar energy, and the company claims it can also capture mechanical, thermal, and RF energy from the local environment but there’s no way to do that with that kit without additional hardware.

The DFRobot kit is comprised of an evaluation board with the company DFM8001 energy harvesting module, two pluggable supercapacitors, and a solar panel used as power input. You could also use other sources emitting at least 150 mV gathering energy from RF, thermal, or mechanical sources. The board features two outputs one low-voltage (1.2-1.8V) terminal up to 20mA, and a high-voltage (1.8V-4.1V) terminal up to 80mA, and two battery connectors plus a few jumpers for configuration.

DFM8001 energy harvesting kit specifications:

• Operating voltage – 3.3V to 5.5V DC
• Cold start condition – Input > 400mV 15uW
• Sustaining voltage after cold start – 150mV.
• Input voltage range – 150mV – 5V through 2-pin SRC IN terminal block
• MPPT ratio – 70%, 75%, 85%, 90% (adjustable)
• MPPT automatic detection frequency – 5 times per second
• Dual LDO voltage regulation output
  • 2-pin Low voltage terminal – 1.2 to 1.8V up to 20mA (enabled/disabled with jumper), e.g. for low-power MCU board
  • 2-pin High voltage terminal – 1.8 to 4.1V up to 80mA (enabled/disabled with jumper), e.g. for low-power RF receiver
• Energy storage management
  • 1.5F and 0.22F supercapacitor energy storage modules (connected through 4-pin + 3-pin headers)
  • 2-pin PRIM terminal block for primary battery
  • 3-pin BAT terminal block for external energy storage device with +, -, and DCSC.
  • Adjustable overcharge protection – 2.7V – 4.5V
  • Adjustable over-discharge protection – 2.2V – 3.6V
  • Low battery warning
  • LDO output available indication
  • Switch to backup battery after 600ms
• Supports disposable backup battery
• Solar panel
  • Maximum power point – 70%
  • Maximum power – 90uW @ 200Lux
• Dimensions
  • Module – 15 x 15 x 3.5 mm
  • Evaluation board – 57 x 42 mm
  • Amorphous silicon solar panel –  45 x 45 mm
• Temperature Range (for DFM8001 module only) – Operating: -40°C to +125°C; storage: -40°C to +150°C

The documentation for the evaluation kit could be better, but I suppose that’s enough to get started. You’ll also find another wiki for the DFM8001 module specifically. The company says that besides the basic amorphous silicon solar panel provided in the kit, users can use higher-efficiency photovoltaic panels such as organic or dye-sensitized solar panels.

Typically applications include indoor light energy harvesting, self-powered Internet of Things (IoT) nodes, Smart Home systems, industrial monitoring, asset management, and Ambient IoT. DFRobot sells the DFM8001 indoor ambient energy harvesting kit for $16.90.  You can also buy the DFM8001 module by itself for $4.90.

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