EMPOWER#IoT
Modern cities monitor air quality, traffic flows, noise levels, and other urban parameters in real time, in order to make urban life safer, cleaner, and more efficient. Thousands of sensors collect and share data through a system of connected devices (known as “the Internet of Things”, IoT).
But powering these sensors is a real challenge. Most devices are plugged into the electrical grid via cables or run on disposable batteries, which results in high installation costs, demands frequent maintenance, and generates electronic waste. These constraints slow down the widespread adoption of smart city technologies.
The EMPOWER#IoT project proposes a different approach: autonomous sensors powered by solar energy, avoiding the need for costly wiring or constant battery replacements. To achieve this, the consortium is developing new photovoltaic materials, including organic and perovskite solar cells, that perform well in shaded areas, cloudy weather, or even under streetlights. Unlike traditional silicon cells, these technologies keep working efficiently in low-light conditions, making them particularly suited to dense urban environments.
But EMPOWER#IoT also goes beyond technology. From the start, the team integrated eco-design principles and recycling strategies for photovoltaic materials, with the aim of reducing waste and limiting the use of critical raw materials.
A trinational consortium, coordinated by the University of Freiburg, brings together the University of Strasbourg, CNRS, the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, the Eurométropole de Strasbourg, and other company partners. Together, they are developing solar modules, power-management electronics, and sensor prototypes. Field tests will be carried out in cities in France and Germany.
By the end of the project, EMPOWER#IoT aims to deliver working prototypes demonstrating the potential of solar-powered, self-sustaining sensors. For cities and companies, this means more reliable data at lower costs. And for the Upper Rhine region, it represents a step toward a future where digital innovation and clean energy advance together.
The EMPOWER#IoT project is part of the Science Offensive of the trinational Upper Rhine Metropolitan Region, co-financed by the European Union via the Interreg Upper Rhine programme, the Grand Est Region, the Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst of the Land of Baden-Württemberg and the Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Gesundheit of the Land of Rhineland-Palatinate. The Swiss Confederation and the Cantons of Northwestern Switzerland are contributing to the funding of the Swiss partners in the project.