Epishine and Nichicon Showcase Indoor PV Harvesting Module at Hardware Pioneers 2025: Is Decade-Plus, Maintenance-Free Operation About to Become Economically Viable for the IoT?

Ambient IoT describes a new class of connected devices that can harvest energy from virtually any available source in the device’s surrounding environment. In recent years, an ecosystem of energy-harvesting component manufacturers has emerged, driving the growth of ambient-powered Internet of Things (IoT) devices. 

According to ABI Research’s Energy Harvesting for the IoT: Vendor Landscape and Technology Development report, 1.1 billion Ambient IoT devices are forecast to ship in 2030, with 57% powered by Photovoltaic (PV) harvesting. PV cells are made from semiconductor materials that directly convert light energy into an electric current. These form the components of solar panels, or PV modules, for solar energy conversion.

Sweden-based Epishine, founded in 2016, specializes in designing lightweight and flexible Organic Photovoltaic (OPV) cells for low-light conditions, targeting retail, smart buildings, and asset tracking for the IoT, as well as consumer electronics devices. Epishine’s solar cells offer self-charging capabilities for a wide range of tiny, inexpensive devices, “from smart home gadgets to industrial sensors,” the company says.

Meanwhile, Nichicon, based in Kyoto, is actively targeting Ambient IoT applications through the development of its “SLB series” (Small Lithium Titanite Battery), a rechargeable battery for storing energy harvested from light, Radio Frequency (RF), heat, or vibration ambient sources.

In April 2025, Epishine and Nichicon joined forces at Hardware Pioneers 2025 to present the SCB-Ep-Ni, a self-charging, two-in-one module for Ambient IoT, targeting indoor PV environments. The SCB-Ep-Ni couples Epishine’s indoor OPV cell to capture solar energy from the device’s environment, with Nichicon’s SLB, which retains sufficient energy sourced from Epishine’s OPV cell, to power the device in periods of darkness.

By combining their complementary capabilities, the partnership should unlock several advantages for IoT Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) compared with traditional approaches to battery integration, which should, in turn, drive adoption in the Ambient IoT ecosystem.

First, Epishine’s indoor OPV cells should enable indoor low-light conversion from natural and artificial solar sources. Epishine has fine-tuned its solar cells to harvest solar energy from as low as 50 lux, able to convert energy from Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) or fluorescent lightbulbs, as well as natural sunlight through windows. Epishine’s OPVs are also made from organic materials, meaning they do not contain any hazardous or toxic substances. In manufacturing facilities, homes, and commercial buildings, where there may not be sufficient light intensity to sustain reliable operation on a traditional PV cell, Epishine’s OPVs provide an alternative method of power conversion.

Second, Nichicon’s SLB should provide enhanced durability compared to non-rechargeable batteries. SLBs can be recharged over 25,000 times and still retain over 80% of their storage capacity, which Nichicon claims can enable battery life of over 10 years. Compared with energy harvesting systems using traditional supercapacitors, the SLB purportedly retains the advantages of high power density—often associated with Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries—and the enhanced power delivery and extended lifecycles of supercapacitors. And compared to alternative Li-ion batteries, Nichicon say that the SLB enables faster charge and recharge. In smart home, commercial building, and asset-tracking IoT markets, where device longevity is desirable and often necessary, IoT OEMs are likely to value and, in turn, pay a premium for durable energy storage units that do not incur maintenance costs, while still delivering reliable operating performance, thereby reducing Operational Expenditure (OPEX).

For Epishine and Nichicon, combining forces unlocks operational synergies, strengthening each company’s competitive position, compared to marketing respective components as single items. While the market for Li-ion battery storage units and harvesting-capable PV cells is becoming increasingly saturated, pre-integrated bundles of the two are comparatively rare. For IoT OEMs, incorporating the SLB and OPV cells into a single package provides a two-in-one alternative to sourcing these components from two separate vendors. Not only does a plug-and-play module reduce associated search costs of finding optimally compatible hardware, but it also shortens development times, and should expedite time to market.

By combining their complementary capabilities, the partnership should unlock several advantages for IoT Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) compared with traditional approaches to battery integration, which should, in turn, drive adoption in the Ambient IoT ecosystem.

First, Epishine’s indoor OPV cells should enable indoor low-light conversion from natural and artificial solar sources. Epishine has fine-tuned its solar cells to harvest solar energy from as low as 50 lux, able to convert energy from Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) or fluorescent lightbulbs, as well as natural sunlight through windows. Epishine’s OPVs are also made from organic materials, meaning they do not contain any hazardous or toxic substances. In manufacturing facilities, homes, and commercial buildings, where there may not be sufficient light intensity to sustain reliable operation on a traditional PV cell, Epishine’s OPVs provide an alternative method of power conversion.

Second, Nichicon’s SLB should provide enhanced durability compared to non-rechargeable batteries. SLBs can be recharged over 25,000 times and still retain over 80% of their storage capacity, which Nichicon claims can enable battery life of over 10 years. Compared with energy harvesting systems using traditional supercapacitors, the SLB purportedly retains the advantages of high power density—often associated with Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries—and the enhanced power delivery and extended lifecycles of supercapacitors. And compared to alternative Li-ion batteries, Nichicon say that the SLB enables faster charge and recharge. In smart home, commercial building, and asset-tracking IoT markets, where device longevity is desirable and often necessary, IoT OEMs are likely to value and, in turn, pay a premium for durable energy storage units that do not incur maintenance costs, while still delivering reliable operating performance, thereby reducing Operational Expenditure (OPEX).

For Epishine and Nichicon, combining forces unlocks operational synergies, strengthening each company’s competitive position, compared to marketing respective components as single items. While the market for Li-ion battery storage units and harvesting-capable PV cells is becoming increasingly saturated, pre-integrated bundles of the two are comparatively rare. For IoT OEMs, incorporating the SLB and OPV cells into a single package provides a two-in-one alternative to sourcing these components from two separate vendors. Not only does a plug-and-play module reduce associated search costs of finding optimally compatible hardware, but it also shortens development times, and should expedite time to market.