How does a light-powered system work?

Light is captured by the solar cell and converted into electrical power. This energy is routed through a power management unit, which regulates and optimizes the energy flow before storing it in an energy storage component. 

The stored energy powers the microcontroller (uC), which manages the system. The uC communicates with the available sensors in the product, runs the device logic, and acts as the communication manager towards the outside world. 

Wireless communication can be implemented in two ways, either a radio chip is integrated in the uC, or the system uses a separate radio chip. In the separate-radio setup, the uC controls what data is sent and when, and the radio chip transmits the data accordingly. The software outside the device receives the transmitted data and decides what actions to take, for example increasing heating or ventilation.