However, the research group I was in was focussed on using silicon carbide devices for hostile environment sensors (think high temp gas sensors primarily) and looking at how to make FETs from SiC that could work in high temp/high radiation environments etc.

This is why my thesis and papers primarily focussed on testing energy harvesting devices at temperature - batteries won't work at 300degC and running power cables up and into a volcano fumarole is a tad awkward.

I had this feeling though that if I didn't get a room temperature, off the shelf components, system working I would have missed a key part of the learning - I just got lucky that the system was novel enough for a paper publication.

I'd love to see an open source energy harvester, especially if it is based on off the shelf components. Low power sensors without a battery would be a major plus for the environment.