Sustainable harvesting solutions for smart spaces

ZF will showcase sustainable energy harvesting solutions for intelligent and energy-efficient rooms and buildings at Light+Building 2026.

This year's booth is all about the energy harvesting generator. As the centrepiece of the company's Energy Harvesting technology, the generator is distinguished by its extremely compact design and high energy efficiency.

The company employs the inductive principle for this technology, which means that the required radio energy is generated by the mechanical operation of a switching mechanism. The radio data is then transmitted wirelessly via radio technology. Instead of generating auxiliary energy through an integrated power source or adding it through an external power source, kinetic energy acting on the system is converted. Therefore, the energy harvester is also referred to as an energy converter. The energy harvesting systems can be placed anywhere without the necessity for cables. Throughout the entire life cycle, the system performs its function completely maintenance-free and without the need to replace a battery, resulting in significantly reduced maintenance costs.

The core component – the generator – is available in monostable and bistable versions, with or without radio electronics. The radio electronics can be implemented with various radio standards, including EnOcean, KNX, Bluetooth, as well as with custom protocols.

The company's energy harvesting products are suitable for a wide range of applications, for example, in industrial and building automation, the mobility sector, or medical technology.

ZF is showcasing some application examples for smart rooms and buildings, such as light switch modules with EnOcean or KNX protocol, intelligent window handles and locks, as well as door locks, at the trade fair in Frankfurt.

Visit ZF at Light+Building 2026, Hall 12.1, Stand No. A11 from March 8 to 13, 2026.