EVIBES Energy Harvesting from Natural and Anthropogenic Vibrations: Modelling, Prototype and Community Testing Stages

The search for new energy solutions aims to provide reliable, sustainable, and cost-effective energy to communities worldwide. Among emerging green-energy alternatives, the use of low-amplitude mechanical vibrations as a renewable energy source has gained increasing attention. Mechanical vibrations can be converted into electrical energy, offering a clean and potentially continuous power supply. The energy yield from such vibrations depends primarily on the amplitude and frequency of different natural and anthropogenic sources, which vary according to local conditions.

The aim of this presentation is to introduce the E-VIBES project, an ambitious initiative focused on investigating the energy harvesting potential of ground mechanical vibrations. Within the E-VIBES project, we examine several types of natural and anthropogenic ground-motion sources, such as earthquakes, blasts, and microseisms, together with human-made, industry-related sources such as traffic circulation and CO2 injection, assessing their energy potential in terms of amplitude and frequency content. Based on this assessment, we have planned, designed, and constructed two prototypes of energy harvesters using piezoelectric and electromagnetic mechanisms specifically tailored to the characteristics of the selected vibration sources. The main goal of these prototypes is to harvest energy from highly vibrating environments (e.g., areas with high seismicity rates or mining environments) to supply low-consumption lighting or monitoring sensors. In addition, optimization work has been carried out by modeling interconnected harvesting devices, enabling the scaling of generated energy through modular configurations.

The project is currently in the testing and socio-economic assessment phase, during which the resulting device will be deployed under field conditions in Cuya, northern Chile, to evaluate its efficiency and feasibility for electricity generation from mechanical vibrations. In parallel, socio-economic analyses and community educational activities are being planned and will be conducted to assess the broader societal impact and potential benefits of the proposed energy-harvesting solution in low-income territories. A key element of this process will be the identification of strategies to reduce costs and improve accessibility, to enable adoption across a wide range of applications and communities.