{
  "id": 18371076,
  "title": "5 ESP32 projects that can run on batteries for a whole year",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/5-esp32-projects-that-can-run-on-batteries-for-a-whole-year",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-05T20:30:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "XDA Developers",
    "slug": "xda-developers",
    "url": "https://www.xda-developers.com/esp32-projects-that-run-on-batteries-for-a-year/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Five ESP32 projects can operate on batteries for an entire year. One example is a door/window sensor that informs you of the status of a door or window. To achieve this, an energy-efficient ESP32-C3 board is used, which draws minimal power even when woken up by a magnetic reed switch. This sensor can last for months on a single 18650 battery, communicating with Home Assistant via MQTT. Another project involves monitoring temperature to automatically switch appliances on or off. By waking up the board only when needed and batching sensor readings, an 18650 battery can power this project for over a year. For a personal weather station, an e-paper display that refreshes only a few times a day can be powered by an 18650 battery for a full year. Soil moisture monitoring in a garden can also be achieved using a low-power ESP32 board and a small battery. By programming the sensor to measure moisture twice a day and using a MOSFET to cut power during the night, the board can operate for almost a year on a single 18650 Li-ion battery. Lastly, powering a smart doorbell for a year requires an ESP32-C3 or ESP32-S3 mini board, a low self-discharge battery, and ESP-NOW protocol. This setup allows the board to wake up briefly, send a packet, and return to sleep, consuming minimal power even when the doorbell is rung frequently.",
  "summary": "Making your ESP32 projects last a year just requires simple tweaks",
  "key_points": [
    "Five ESP32 projects can run on batteries for a year.",
    "Door/window sensor uses energy-efficient ESP32-C3 board.",
    "Soil moisture monitoring lasts almost a year on 18650 battery."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}