# Energy is all around us

> Learn how to deal with energy constraints at The Things Conference Millions of battery-powered IoT devices are deployed in the field every year. All with the re

- Type: Global update from The Things Network
- Author: The Things Network
- Published: 2019-01-14
- Updated: 2026-10-06
- Web page: https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/article/energy-is-all-around-us

## Learn how to deal with energy constraints at [The Things Conference](http://www.thethingsconference.com/)

**Millions of battery-powered IoT devices are deployed in the field every year. All with the requirement to last for 3, 5 or even 10 years without the necessity to change or recharge the batteries. LoRaWAN is one of the technologies that enable these devices to last for so long, right? Well, not really.**

![file](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/media/md_editor/image-1547502122190.large.png)

Technologies such as LoRa are not particularly low power, it’s merely the act of putting devices in deep sleep for over 99.9% of the time that significantly impacts the battery life. The difference is about 4 orders of magnitude between the power consumption of a device in deep sleep and a device transmitting LoRaWAN data. Microchip’s LoRaWAN module (RN2483 or RN2903) consumes 1.6 μA in deep sleep mode, when sending, the power consumption increases over 24000 times to 38.9mA [source](http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/DeviceDoc/50002346C.pdf). With the latest LoRa chip ([SAM R34/R35](https://www.microchip.com/design-centers/wireless-connectivity/low-power-wide-area-networks/lora-technology/sam-r34-r35)), Microchip even managed to bring the power consumption down to 790nA.

As technical developments in the field of batteries have stagnated, new ways to improve the device lifecycle has to be found. We need a shift in our mindset and think of novel ways where batteries are not the limiting factor for IoT devices. Swedish startup [Qoitech](https://www.qoitech.com/) argues that the battery life of your IoT solution will make or break your business. Battery optimization needs to be at the top of your mind throughout the whole development cycle for everyone involved. Small improvements of a few micro Amps can significantly increase the impact of the lifespan of IoT devices.

**What about never having to use batteries again?**
[Tryst](https://www.trystenergy.com/), a spin-off of Rotterdam-based [TWTG](https://twtg.io/) shows that 200 lux (about the amount fo light you find under your desk) already is enough to keep an IoT device running forever. The small solar panel, in combination with a capacitor provides enough energy to send data over LoRaWAN. Simon van der Jagt, founder of [Nowi](https://www.nowi-energy.com/), enables devices to use the energy that is already readily available in our surroundings in the form of light, heat, movement or even radio waves.

_Energy is all around us. Join [The Things Conference](http://www.thethingsconference.com/), learn how to deal with the energy constraint and change the way we think about batteries_

### [www.thethingsconference.com](http://www.thethingsconference.com/)

**Keynotes**
**Sven Erik Haitjema** - Lead Hardware Engineer Tryst
_What about never having to use batteries again?_

**Simon van der Jagt** - Founder & CEO Nowi
_From Plug&Play to Plug&Forget: Energy Harvesting in IoT_

**Vanja Samuelsson** - Founder & CEO Qoitech
_Is your LoRaWAN solution long-lived?_

**Workshops**
**Taking a Deep Dive into Deep Sleep**
by **Jan Willem Smeenk** - Founder & CEO SODAQ

**Bring your device and measure its exact power consumption**
by **Werner Johansson** - Hardware and low-level embedded software specialist Qoitech