Piezoelectric energy is a renewable alternative energy source that operates on a smaller scale than renewable energy generation plants which generate Mega–Giga Watts of power. Its potential to 'eliminate' contemporary batteries, which are classified as hazardous wastes, makes it an important technological advancement in a world increasingly concerned about eliminating waste, increasing sustainability and shifting to more 'green' consumption habits.Authored by a pioneer of piezoelectric actuators and piezoelectric energy harvesting, this unique compendium provides a solid theoretical background of piezoelectrics, practical material selection, device design optimization, and energy harvesting electric circuits. Included in each chapter are a list of chapter essentials, check points, example problems and solutions, and practice problems.Written for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, university researchers, and industry engineers studying or working in the field of piezoelectric energy harvesting systems, the useful reference text provides readers with the essential knowledge to conduct research and raises readers' awareness of known pitfalls and mis-directions in the field.

Kenji Uchino, one of the pioneers in piezoelectric actuators and energy harvesting systems, is the Director of International Center for Actuators and Transducers (ICAT) and Professor of Electrical Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering, also currently a Distinguished Honors Faculty at Schreyer Honors College at the Pennsylvania State University. He has been a university professor for 45 years so far, including 18 years in Japanese universities. He has also been a company executive (president or vice president) for 21 years in four companies, most recently the Fonder and Senior Vice President of Micromechatronics Inc., a spin-off company from the above ICAT, where he was elaborating to commercialize the ICAT-invented piezo-actuators, transducers and energy harvesters. He was a Government officer for 7 years in both Japan and the US, recently a 'Navy Ambassador to Japan' (2010–2014) for assisting the rescue program from the Big Northern Japan Earthquake. He is currently teaching 'Ferroelectric Devices', 'Micromechatronics', 'FEM Application for Smart Materials', and 'Entrepreneurship for Engineers' for the Engineering and Business School graduate students using the textbooks authored by himself titled as the same.After being awarded his PhD degree from Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan, Uchino became Research Associate/Assistant Professor in Physical Electronics Department in 1976 at this university. Then, he joined Sophia University, Japan as an Associate Professor in Physics in 1985. He was then recruited to Penn State in 1991 under a strong request from the US Navy community. He was also involved with Space Shuttle Utilizing Committee in NASDA (current JAXA, equivalent to the US NASA), Japan during 1986-88, and was the Vice President of NF Electronic Instruments, USA, during 1992-94. He also holds a Master's degree in Business and Administration from St. Francis University, PA. He has consulted more than 135 Japanese, US and European industries to commercialize the piezoelectric actuators and electrooptic devices. He was the Chair of Smart Actuator/Sensor Study Committee partly sponsored by the Japanese Government, MITI (1987–2014). He was also the associate editor for Journal of Materials Technology (Matrice Technology) and the editorial board member for Journal of Ferroelectrics (Gordon & Breach) and Journal of Electroceramics (Kluwer Academic), and is currently Editor in Chief of J Insight-Material Science (PiscoMed Publishing) and Associate Editor in Chief of J Actuators (MDPI). He also served as an Administrative Committee member for IEEE, Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, Frequency Control Society (1998–2000), and Secretary of American Ceramic Society, Electronics Division (2002–2003).His research interests are in solid state physics — especially dielectrics, ferroelectrics and piezoelectrics, including basic research on materials, device designing and fabrication processes, as well as development of solid-state actuators for precision positioners, ultrasonic motors, and energy harvesting systems. He has authored 582 papers, 78 books and 33 patents in the piezoelectric actuator and optical device area. He is Fellow of American Ceramic Society from 1997, Fellow of IEEE since 2012, Senior Member of National Academy of Inventors since 2019, and also a recipient of 31 awards, including Wilhelm R Buessem Award from the Center for Dielectrics and Piezoelectrics, The Penn State University (2019), Distinguished Lecturer of the IEEE UFFC Society (2018), International Ceramic Award from Global Academy of Ceramics (2016), IEEE-UFFC Ferroelectrics Recognition Award (2013), Inventor Award from Center for Energy Harvesting Materials and Systems, Virginia Tech (2011), Premier Research Award from The Penn State Engineering Alumni Society (2011), the Japanese Society of Applied Electromagnetics and Mechanics Award (2008), the SPIE Smart Product Implementation Award (2007), R&D 100 Award (2007), ASME Adaptive Structures Prize (2005), Outstanding Research Award from Penn State Engineering Society (1996), and Best Paper Award from Japanese Society of Oil/Air Pressure Control (1987).In addition to his academic carrier, Uchino is an honorary member of KERAMOS (National Professional Ceramic Engineering Fraternity) and obtained the Best Movie Memorial Award as the director/producer in Japan Scientific Movie Festival (1989) on several educational video tapes on 'Dynamical Optical Observation of Ferroelectric Domains' and 'Ceramic Actuators.'