ABSTRACT
Renewable energy technology can be combined with wireless power transfer to construct sustainable wireless communication networks (Akhtar et al., 2015). Technological improvements have enabled systems to be built in which wireless devices are powered over the air by wireless power transmitters (Bi et al., 2016). While there have been scientific advances in wireless networks, accessible energy still remains a key issue. The amount of available energy has a direct effect on the performance, functionality and lifetime of such systems. The principal reason for the interest in renewable energy is the need to do away with batteries as well as to reduce or eliminate dependence on the electrical grid (Akhtar et al., 2015). As illustrated in Figure 10.1, renewable solar energy can be employed with photovoltaic panels to generate electricity for wireless power and information transfer devices. One can speculate that this technology may eventually be employed to help operate small- to medium-scale desalination units in remote regions.
