Impact of Weather on Radio-Frequency Energy Harvesting Efficiency: Review and Future Directions

With the rise of IoT and smart cities, there is a need for reliable and eco-friendly power. Radio Frequency Energy Harvesting (RF-EH) is an example of a low environmental footprint and wide availability that can power Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) in urban environments. Although RF-EH has many advantages, its operational efficiency under various weather conditions such as temperature, humidity, and wind remains understudied. This paper summarizes the existing literature on RF-EH and highlights some discrepancies in the way these environmental factors affect system performance. We propose the development of an adaptive algorithm that adapts to changing weather conditions. This would increase the resilience and functionality of RF-EH for smart city infrastructures.