RePower · Project

Clamp-On Energy Harvester Eliminates Battery Costs for Wireless Building Sensors

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Imagine every wireless sensor in your building runs on batteries that cost €180 each to replace — and you have hundreds of them tucked inside walls and ceilings. RePower built a small clamp that snaps onto any existing power cable and harvests enough energy from the outside of that cable to run a sensor forever. No wiring, no batteries, no maintenance visits. It is like giving each sensor its own tiny power plant that feeds off the cable it is already sitting next to.

By the numbers

40%

Share of EU energy consumption from buildings

36%

Share of EU CO2 emissions from buildings

€180

Battery cost per sensor eliminated by RePower

1.4 million

RePower units projected annually, 3 years after launch

256

New jobs expected at REMONI and partners

15 billion

Global market for new wireless sensor nodes (2020 estimate)

€1,105,251

EU contribution to the project

The business problem

What needed solving

Buildings consume 40% of all energy in the EU and produce 36% of CO2 emissions. Monitoring building health and energy use requires hundreds of wireless sensors — but each sensor runs on batteries costing €180 to replace, making large-scale deployment expensive and maintenance-intensive. Building operators face a painful trade-off between comprehensive monitoring and spiraling maintenance budgets.

The solution

What was built

RePower delivered an optimised energy-harvesting prototype with hardware, software and cloud interface, a dedicated OEM demonstrator for sensor manufacturers, a building health demonstrator proving the technology in real installations, and mechanics designs matured for serial production. In total, 11 deliverables were completed across the project.

Audience

Who needs this

Commercial facility management companies with large sensor networksIoT sensor OEMs looking for embedded power solutionsMunicipal building operators monitoring public infrastructureEnergy service companies (ESCOs) deploying building efficiency solutionsIndustrial plant operators using wireless condition monitoring

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Commercial Building Management

mid-size

Target: Facility management companies operating large office or retail portfolios

If you are a facility manager dealing with costly battery replacements across hundreds of wireless sensors in your buildings — this project developed a clamp-on energy harvester that powers sensors directly from existing power cables. The patented device eliminates the €180 per-sensor battery cost and removes maintenance visits entirely, letting you scale monitoring without scaling your maintenance team.

Industrial IoT and Sensor Manufacturing

any

Target: OEM sensor manufacturers looking for integrated power solutions

If you are a sensor OEM struggling to differentiate your wireless products because customers hate battery dependency — RePower built a dedicated OEM demonstrator that integrates their energy harvesting technology into third-party sensor designs. With a global market of 15 billion wireless sensor nodes estimated for 2020, embedding maintenance-free power gives your product line a serious competitive edge.

Public Infrastructure and Municipal Buildings

enterprise

Target: Municipal building operators and public works departments

If you are a public building operator required to monitor energy consumption across schools, hospitals, and government offices — RePower developed a building health monitoring solution that runs on harvested energy from existing cables. Buildings account for 40% of energy consumption in the EU, and continuous monitoring with zero maintenance cost helps you meet efficiency targets without budget overruns.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What does this actually cost compared to battery-powered sensors?

According to the project data, a typical battery-operated sensor using long-life Lithium batteries has a maintenance cost of €180 per sensor due to battery replacements. A RePower-equipped sensor has zero maintenance cost over its lifetime since it harvests energy from existing power cables. The hardware cost of the RePower unit itself is not disclosed in the available data.

Can this work at industrial scale across large building portfolios?

The project delivered mechanics designs matured for serial production, which signals readiness for volume manufacturing. The team projected distribution of 1.4 million RePower-driven units annually three years after market launch, targeting both public and commercial buildings. The OEM demonstrator also suggests the technology can be embedded directly into third-party sensor products for mass deployment.

Is the technology patented and how can I license it?

Yes, RePower is explicitly described as a patented, non-invasive solution for harvesting energy from the outside of multicore power cables. The patent is held by REMONI A/S in Denmark. Licensing terms would need to be discussed directly with REMONI — the OEM demonstrator deliverable suggests they are open to integration partnerships.

Does this require any modification to existing electrical installations?

No. The RePower device is non-invasive and simply clamps onto the outside of any existing multicore power cable. There is no need to cut into wiring or modify electrical infrastructure. The sensor plugs into the RePower supply and runs for the sensor's entire lifetime without intervention.

What stage of development is this — lab prototype or production-ready?

The project delivered an optimised prototype, multiple demonstrators (building health and OEM), and mechanics designs matured for serial production. This is well beyond the lab stage. The SME Instrument Phase 2 funding and serial-production-ready design indicate the technology was approaching market readiness by project end in November 2018.

Which regulations or standards does this comply with?

Based on available project data, specific regulatory certifications or standards compliance are not mentioned in the deliverables or objectives. Since the device clamps onto power cables without electrical contact, it likely falls under different regulatory requirements than invasive electrical equipment, but specific certifications would need to be confirmed with REMONI A/S.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a lean, industry-only consortium of 3 SME partners across Denmark and Czech Republic — no universities or research institutes, which is typical of SME Instrument Phase 2 projects focused on taking existing technology to market. REMONI A/S coordinates from Denmark. The 100% industry ratio and all-SME composition signal a team built for commercialization rather than fundamental research. With €1,105,251 in EU funding spread across just 3 partners, the project had meaningful resources to advance from prototype to production-ready design. The absence of academic partners suggests the core science was already proven before the project started.

REMONI A/SCoordinator · DK

How to reach the team

REMONI A/S is a Danish SME — contact their business development team through repowered.eu or via SciTransfer for a facilitated introduction.

Order a report on this consortium See REMONI A/S profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how RePower's energy harvesting technology fits your building or IoT product line? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the REMONI team and provide a tailored technology brief for your use case.

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