Savi Technology has begun deploying solar-powered radio frequency identification (RFID) readers and signposts for customers in the defense and commercial sectors. The technology conserves energy and reduces costs while tracking supplies in real time, the vendor said. Solar energy eliminates the need to install electrical infrastructure in remote areas where there are no fixed reader networks. To implement the technology, Savi engineers mounted solar panels and RFID signposts on poles located at a major U.S. Army supply facility in Kuwait. The signposts activate RFID tags attached to vehicles or pieces of equipment. The tags report the assets' positions to nearby RFID readers, which relay the information to Savi Site Manager software. The system then automatically updates the assets' latest location. The tools enable the facility to track more than 25,000 tags per day, Savi claimed. Plans are underway with the U.S. Department of Defense to expand the use of solar-powered applications to other areas in the Middle East and beyond. Savi already operates an RFID-based network in Colombia that uses solar energy to power RFID signposts, and readers to track containerized cargo shipments.
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