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Supercapacitors will become an integral part of energy storage system across the board, ranging from large-sized electrical to small-sized electronic devices. They deliver fast charge up and discharge rate, wider temperature compliance and prolonged battery life. Coating and printing are the main deposition methods for producing supercapacitor electrodes, which is the costliest element in the device's bill of materials.

Energy harvesting transducers are often only a part of the puzzle. Increasingly, they are part of a picture that includes low-power electronics and energy storage devices. The hybrid approach reduces fear of total reliance on energy harvesting methods while prolonging the battery lifetime. Supercapacitors will form part of the energy management solution, enabling better energy capture, particularly when energy is released in short-lived pulses.

Supercapacitors are all about the surface area between the electrode and the electrolyte. The higher the surface area, the higher the performance will be. This is where graphene and other 2D materials might deliver value thanks to their extremely large surface-to-volume ratio. Initial lab results are very promising and most manufactures are already experimenting with graphene and similar materials behind the scenes.

Distributed connected things will require a miniaturized power source with a long life time. Energy harvesting and supercapacitors will both form part of the solutions of the future. The former can scavenge energy from its ambient environment while the latter can better manage power demands, thereby substantially increasing battery lifetime.

Wearable devices will be mobile and portable, requiring thin energy storage solutions that can be powered up rapidly. Indeed, energy storage is likely to be a performance bottleneck, as with other mobile devices. Supercapacitors will form part of the emerging solutions as they prolong battery lifetime, accelerate the charge up process, and enable features demanding fast power discharge.