Nanotechnology Now - Press Release: Cymbet and Konarka Demonstrate Flexible Solar Energy Harvesting for Autonomous Sensors

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Abstract:
Cymbet EnerChip™ and Konarka Power Plastic® Combine for ESC SV 2009 Demo

Cymbet and Konarka Demonstrate Flexible Solar Energy Harvesting for Autonomous Sensors

Minneapolis, MN | Posted on March 26th, 2009

Cymbet Corporation and Konarka Technologies are combining their unique solar energy capture, energy conversion and energy storage technologies to demonstrate advanced solar energy harvesting techniques. These techniques enable new applications such as zero power intelligent building energy management wireless sensors, agricultural field monitoring/reporting devices and shipment status data loggers. This innovative demo will be featured at the Embedded Systems Conference (ESC), in San Jose, Calif., March 30 - April 2 in Cymbet's booth #436.

Flexible Energy Harvesting Configurations Drive Cost Effective Deployments

The key to creating cost effective energy harvesting-based sensors and controls is to use power train components that can be optimized for the application. Cymbet's and Konarka's ESC demo highlights the innovative features of both companies' technologies. Cymbet is a leader in solid state energy storage devices and energy harvesting technology. Konarka is the leading developer of polymer-based, organic photovoltaic (OPV) technology that provides a source of renewable power in a variety of form factors. The Konarka Power Plastic® solar plastic film converts light to energy anywhere using a flexible format that is utilized in this energy harvesting demo.

"Our Power Plastic technology is lightweight, flexible and adaptable for use in many energy harvesting applications," said Dan Williams, Vice President of Business Development at Konarka. "This particular demo illustrates Power Plastic deployed in a cylindrical shape that powers a wireless sensor via the Cymbet EnerChip EH power module."

Cymbet recently introduced the new EnerChip™ EH CBC5300 energy harvesting power module that connects to the flexible Konarka Power Plastic photo voltaic cell in this demo. The CBC5300 utilizes EnerChip solid state energy cells, and combines energy conversion, energy storage and power management into a small footprint module.

"The new EnerChip EH module provides significant advantages to our customers. Integrating the EnerChip and high efficiency energy harvesting circuitry into a single module provides many new ways to create zero power devices", said Bill Priesmeyer, Cymbet CEO. "Combining the EnerChip EH module with Konarka's state-of-the-art photovoltaic technology demonstrates new innovative energy harvesting storage solutions."

Drop-in Solar Energy Harvesting Power Solutions

Creating power efficient and cost effective solar energy harvesting power solutions is a complex task. There are many variables that must be taken into account. The Konarka Power Plastic and Cymbet EnerChip EH combination shows how new technologies may be utilized to create drop-in power solutions. Designers will be able to create flexible photovoltaic configurations that connect to a single power module. The EnerChip EH module has >5000 recharge cycles, low self-discharge, stable output voltage, and can be connected to many different microcontrollers and low power wireless devices.

Demonstrating Advanced Energy Storage Configurations at ESC Booths 436 and 830

In addition to the solar energy harvesting demo, Cymbet will also be demonstrating the new EnerChip™ CC and CBC-EVAL-05 evaluation kit in booth #436 and in the TI Third Party Pavilion booth #830. The EnerChip CC is the world first solid state energy cell with integrated battery management in the same Surface Mount Technology package. Designers can obtain detailed information about the EnerChip CC Evaluation kit at http://www.cymbet.com/content/products-evaluation-kits.asp.

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About Konarka Technologies
Konarka develops and manufactures solar plastic films that convert light to energy – anywhere. As the leading developer of polymer-based, organic photovoltaic (OPV) technology that provides a source of renewable power in a variety of form factors, Konarka has a broad portfolio of patents, technology licenses and an accomplished technical, scientific and manufacturing team. Manufactured at low cost and low energy consumption, the company's Konarka Power Plastic® technology is lightweight, flexible, scalable and adaptable for use in a variety of commercial, industrial, government and consumer applications. Konarka Technologies is headquartered in Lowell, Mass., U.S.A. and has a full scale production manufacturing facility in New Bedford, Mass. U.S.A., with European headquarters in Nurnberg, Germany, business development offices in Asia and a research and development facility in Austria. For additional information, visit http://www.konarka.com.

About Cymbet
Cymbet Corporation—a green technology company—is a leader in thin-film, solid-state storage devices and energy harvesting technology. The company is the first to market a surface mount packaged energy storage solution that designers can use to realize new embedded systems capabilities. Cymbet’s EnerChip™ thin-film devices enable innovative energy storage applications for integrated circuits and new products for process control, medical, wireless, sensors, RFID, communications, consumer, portable electronics and energy harvesting. Visit Cymbet online at www.cymbet.com.

Contacts:
Cymbet Corporation
Steve Grady
763-633-1792
VP Marketing

Konarka Contact:
BroadPR
Tracy Wemett
617-868-5031

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