RadioVoltaic — RV-24

Overview

RV-24 generates electricity from the broadband radio-frequency portion of solar radiation, including at night. A thin polymer film carries microstrip resonators applied by roll-to-roll printing; the resonators capture radio waves and convert them to current. Efficiency is low (~5 %), but continuous 24/7 operation is claimed to make total daily output comparable to a silicon panel running 6–7 hours. The film ships in rolls; power scales with length; no sun orientation or rooftop mounting is required.

Applications

Distributed generation anywhere radio waves penetrate — including indoors and basements (verified by a built-in radio receiver); off-grid and lightweight installations; scalable deployments billed via a dedicated mobile app.

Users: off-grid and indoor power users, distributed-energy operators.

Operating Principle

Microstrip resonators printed on a thin polymer film resonate with ambient radio-frequency solar radiation across a broadband spectrum and rectify it into current. Output depends on film length, not on direct sunlight or orientation; operation continues at night.

Limitations: ~5 % efficiency and the "comparable to PV over a day" claim need independent validation; ambient RF energy density varies strongly by location.

Key Parameters

Base: thin-film polymer with printed micro-resonators, supplied as a roll of standard width, available in continuous lengths up to several kilometres; output scales roughly linearly with roll length. Efficiency: ~5 % in continuous operation. Weight: 15 kg per 1 kWh. Form factor: hermetically sealed, waterproof polymer tubes. Service life: ≥25 years. No batteries or direct sunlight required; controlled/billed via mobile app + credit card.

Note: output and "24/7 = daytime PV" equivalence are claims requiring independent validation.

Architecture and Components

Roll-to-roll printed polymer film; microstrip resonator array; rectification/power-conditioning; built-in radio receiver (site suitability check); sealed waterproof tube form factor; mobile-app metering/billing.

Advantages

Technical: 24/7 generation including night; no orientation, rooftop, or solar farm needed; installable indoors; lightweight and roll-scalable. Economic: roll-to-roll printing is low-cost and scalable; app-based metering. Environmental: no silicon, flexible polymer, ≥25-year life.

Integrations

Distributed/indoor installations; app-based billing platform; complements PV where continuous baseline output is wanted.

Deployment & Operation

Steps: verify site RF availability (built-in receiver) → install film roll → connect + activate via app. No tracking or orientation. Remaining: validate real-world output and location-dependence at scale.

TRL

TRL 4 (confirmed by Michael). Validated in lab: RF harvesting with printed microstrip resonators is demonstrable at component level, but real-world output, location-dependence, and the daily-equivalence-to-PV claim are not yet validated in a relevant environment.

TRL scale:

• TRL 1 — basic principles observed
• TRL 2 — technology concept formulated
• TRL 3 — experimental proof-of-concept
• TRL 4 — validated in lab ← RV-24
• TRL 5 — validated in relevant environment
• TRL 6 — demonstrated in relevant environment
• TRL 7 — prototype in operational environment
• TRL 8 — system complete and qualified
• TRL 9 — proven in operational environment

Market Potential

Demand for continuous, orientation-free, installable-anywhere generation (especially indoor/off-grid) is large. A printed, silicon-free film delivering 24/7 baseline output — if real-world yield validates — addresses distributed and indoor segments PV cannot serve.

Typical Project Economics

Cost scales with printed film length; low-cost roll-to-roll manufacturing; app-based metering revenue. No CAPEX/OPEX/price or payback figures in source — flagged as missing; economics indicative until field yield is validated.

Risk Factors

~5 % efficiency and "24/7 = daytime PV" equivalence are unvalidated and highly location-dependent on ambient RF density. Output-per-area is low (15 kg per 1 kWh). Real-world yield indoors/basements unproven. No documented economics. App/credit-card billing adds operational and data dependencies.

Related Technologies

eWATT · AEROGRAPH (Graphene AeroGel) · LunaLand