Autonomous Wireless Sensors (AWSs) are at the core of every Wireless Sensor Network (WSN). Current AWS technology allows the development of many IoT-based applications, ranging from military to bioengineering and from industry to education. The energy optimization of AWSs depends mainly on: Structural, functional, and application specifications. The holistic design methodology addresses all the factors mentioned above. In this sense, we propose an original solution based on a novel architecture that duplicates the transceivers and also the power source using a hybrid storage system. By identifying the consumption needs of the transceivers, an appropriate methodology for sizing and controlling the power flow for the power source is proposed. The paper emphasizes the fusion between information, communication, and energy consumption of the AWS in terms of spectrum information through a set of transceiver testing scenarios, identifying the main factors that influence the sensor node design and their inter-dependencies. Optimization of the system considers all these factors obtaining an energy efficient AWS, paving the way towards autonomous sensors by adding an energy harvesting element to them.

As the title suggests, the sustainability of personal electric vehicles is in question. In terms of life span, range, comfort, and safety, electric vehicles, such as e-cars and e-buses, are much better than personal electric vehicles, such as e-bikes. However, electric vehicles present greater costs and increased energy consumption. Also, the impact on environment, health, and fitness is more negative than that of personal electric vehicles. Since transportation vehicles can benefit from hybrid electric storage solutions, we address the following question: Is it possible to reach a compromise between sustainability and technology constraints by implementing a low-cost hybrid personal electric vehicle with improved life span and range that is also green? Our methodology consists of life cycle assessment and performance analyses tackling the facets of the sustainability challenges (economy, society, and environment) and limitations of the electric storage solutions (dependent on technology and application) presented herein. The hybrid electric storage system of the proposed hybrid e-bike is made of batteries, supercapacitors, and corresponding power electronics, allowing the optimal control of power flows between the system’s components and application’s actuators. Our hybrid e-bike costs less than a normal e-bike (half or less), does not depend on battery operation for short periods of time (a few seconds), has better autonomy than most personal electric vehicles (more than 60 km), has a greater life span (a few years more than a normal e-bike), has better energy efficiency (more than 90%), and is much cleaner due to the reduced number of batteries replaced per life time (one instead of two or three).

Wireless technologies have witnessed a surge in recent years, making them more appealing for a wide range of applications, such as intelligent buildings. The purpose of this paper is to present a domotic system which integrates such wireless technologies. In order to remotely monitor and control the intelligent building, the authors have proposed an approach based on PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) Smartphones which include the functionalities required by such applications (e.g. processing power, multi-modal communication). Through this paper, the authors try to prove that wireless technologies can be successfully integrated into domotic environments and that the capabilities of high performance PDAs can be fully exploited.

Agriculture 5.0 based on IoT technologies, have shown promise in improving the sustainability and productivity of agricultural practices. In Romania, the impact of climate change imposes a lot of challenges, with crops been severely affected by droughts and extreme temperatures. To address these challenges, various IoT-based systems, including irrigation systems, have been developed to promote sustainable agriculture. This research introduces a cost-efficient mobile irrigation system that incorporates NodeMCU with ESP8266, two relay modules, one solenoid valve, and accurate sensors, such as a soil moisture sensor (UM) and an HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor (UL), which provides an accuracy of 0.3cm. The use of this sensors enable precision irrigation management, making it an effective solution for efficient water usage in agriculture. The sensor data are sent to a real-time database for further analysis. In addition, the project uses WiFi connectivity to enable remote monitoring and control via a smartphone application. Based on an evaluation conducted under varying precipitation levels and sensors mea-surments, the proposed system was found to manage soil moisture by adjusting the irrigation process according to calculated Soil Moisture Deficit (SMD) values. This approach was observed to reduce water consumption, enhance soil moisture management, and promote greater resource conservation. The system presents an economical alternative that is well within the means of farmers seeking to streamline their irrigation processes.

Wireless sensor networks (WSN) are currently deployed in both indoor and outdoor environments. Due to limitations in energy and transmitting power, short-distance communications, propagation effects leading to frequent changes in topology and nodes failure in such environments the overall performance of WSNs is of serious concern. MicaZ motes are commonly used in order to form WSNs. The propagation characteristics of MicaZ motes are analyzed in the context of signal degradation phenomena and wireless interference. The results obtained from measurements are intended to be used for designing new network protocols and for future implementations of WSNs in real world.

Compared to conventional passenger cars, the hybrid and electric alternatives include electric motors and large batteries; the use of clean energy, reduced operation emissions, and decreasing purchase prices can represent solid reasons for their market adoption. The feasibility of the transition to electric cars is analyzed herein in terms of the costs, main pollutants, and energy consumption of compact to large-sized cars. In this regard, the proposed life cycle assessment methodology evaluates the pollution and energetic impacts of the current passenger car models with a weight varying from 1.6 to 1.8 tons, depending on the car type, for a complete life cycle. The life cycle emissions and energy consumption are also determined through simulation in order to validate the estimated values for the considered powertrains. This study has shown that a transition to current full-electric passenger cars, based on a European and United States energy mix, is not currently sustainable in terms of energy consumption. The complete life cycle values are similar for the tested conventional and full-electric passenger cars, ranging from 5 to 5.2 MJ/km. By comparison, the hybrid alternatives and full-electric cars based solely on renewable energy present lower energy consumption, ranging from 3.32 to 4.62 MJ/km. At the same time, the hybrid alternatives and conventional cars provide relevant benefits in life cycle costs: 20–25% lower than full-electric cars. In terms of life cycle emissions, the tested full-electric cars based on renewables show a noticeable reduction in greenhouse gases and in other relevant pollutants: 37% and 62%, respectively, lower than that of conventional cars.