# Micro energy harvesting: Resources and labour

Tiny devices, but some rare and radioactive ingredients

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_micro_harvest/resources/

What this tab covers The natural resources (land, water, materials, fuel or feedstock) and the labour needed to capture this energy, per unit, with the reason each is needed.

Material quantities are small per device but some are specialised: lead and tellurium compounds, plutonium-238 and nickel-63. No jobs-per-MW data exist; the work is concentrated in materials science and electronics.

#### Natural resources

| Resource | How much | Why it is needed |
|---|---|---|
| **Piezoelectric ceramics** | Barium titanate, barium zirconate titanate and potassium sodium niobate (all lead-free) were evaluated for roadway units; the project chose a material it calls piezo-magnetic^[4](https://www.energy.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2023-03/CEC-500-2023-008.pdf) | Only crystals without a centre of symmetry separate charge when strained. |
| **Thermoelectric semiconductors (lead, tellurium, germanium, silver, antimony)** | MMRTG couples use lead telluride and TAGS (tellurium, antimony, germanium, silver)^[2](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/mmrtg-factsheet-updated-5-18-20-1.pdf) | Good thermoelectrics conduct electricity well but heat poorly, a combination found in heavy-element tellurides. |
| **Plutonium-238** | 4.8 kg of plutonium dioxide per MMRTG; US production target 1.5 kg a year by 2026^[2](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/mmrtg-factsheet-updated-5-18-20-1.pdf)^[11](https://www.energy.gov/node/4831221) | Its decay heat is steady for decades and its alpha radiation is easily shielded; it is made by irradiating targets in research reactors. |
| **Nickel-63** | Sealed source in each BV100 cell^[10](https://wnn.world-nuclear.org/articles/nuclear-battery-chinese-firm-aiming-for-mass-mark) | A low-energy beta emitter that can be contained by the cell itself. |
| **Road and floor surface** | Estimated 51 kWh per m2 per year in a road lane; main barrier is civil construction of instrumented roads^[3](https://www.energy.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/CEC-500-2023-036.pdf) | Harvesters must sit where loads pass, so they compete with paving and need durable installation. |

#### Labour

| Phase | How much | Skills | Why it is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Manufacturing** | No published jobs data^[13](https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/energy-harvesting-market-552.html) | Thin-film and ceramic processing, semiconductor fabrication, low-power electronics | Devices are small and mass-produced like other electronic components. |
| **Construction and installation** | No published jobs data^[3](https://www.energy.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/CEC-500-2023-036.pdf) | Civil engineering and paving for road and floor systems | Embedding harvesters in roads was identified as the main barrier to scale. |
| **Operation (radioisotope supply)** | No published jobs data^[11](https://www.energy.gov/node/4831221) | Reactor operation and radiochemistry at national laboratories | Plutonium-238 is produced only by irradiation in the High Flux Isotope Reactor and the Advanced Test Reactor. |
| **Decommissioning** | No published jobs data^[10](https://wnn.world-nuclear.org/articles/nuclear-battery-chinese-firm-aiming-for-mass-mark) | Electronics recycling; licensed handling for radioactive sources | Devices contain metals and, for nuclear types, sealed isotopes. |

Because each device is tiny, the resource question is less about tonnes than about scarce, hazardous or regulated ingredients.

#### Sources

1. [Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) fact sheet](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/mmrtg-factsheet-updated-5-18-20-1.pdf) NASA, 2020
2. [Ultra-High Power Density Roadway Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting System (CEC-500-2023-036)](https://www.energy.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/CEC-500-2023-036.pdf) California Energy Commission / University of California, Merced, 2023
3. [Force Multiplier Actuated Piezoelectric Energy Harvester for Roadway Energy Recovery (CEC-500-2023-008)](https://www.energy.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2023-03/CEC-500-2023-008.pdf) California Energy Commission / Pyro-E, 2023
4. [Nuclear battery: Chinese firm aiming for mass market production](https://wnn.world-nuclear.org/articles/nuclear-battery-chinese-firm-aiming-for-mass-mark) World Nuclear News, 2024
5. [U.S. Department of Energy Completes Major Shipment of Plutonium-238 for NASA Missions](https://www.energy.gov/node/4831221) US Department of Energy, 2023
6. [Energy Harvesting System Market, Global Forecast to 2030](https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/energy-harvesting-market-552.html) MarketsandMarkets, 2025

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_micro_harvest/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_micro_harvest/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_micro_harvest/correlation/index.md)
- [Efficiency](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_micro_harvest/efficiency/index.md)
- [Techniques](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_micro_harvest/techniques/index.md)
- [Impact on the biosphere](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_micro_harvest/biosphere/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_micro_harvest/links/index.md)