Energy Harvesting in the UNB-PLC Spectrum: Hidden Opportunities for IoT Devices

This article focuses on the hidden benefits of harvesting the wasted energy from undesirable components of electric signals in electric power systems for powering the transceivers of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. These components, mainly harmonics and interharmonics, occupy the ultranarrowband power line communication spectrum (i.e., frequencies below 3 kHz). In this context, we introduce a mathematical formulation that allows us to quantify the number of transceivers of IoT devices that this kind of wasted energy can power. Based on a measurement campaign in a building facility, we show that the wasted energy can be modeled as a cyclostationary random process on weekdays and a stationary one on weekends, mimicking the energy consumption profile in a building facility. Numerical results also highlight achievable data rates obtained in the building facility if the wasted energy is reused. This analysis shows that this kind of harvested energy from wasted energy is suitable for powering numerous transceivers of IoT devices in practical scenarios.