Powercast brings battery-free sensor tag to Europe

Powercast introduced the European version of its battery-free Bluetooth Low Energy sensor tag at Electronica 2026 in Munich. The PCTB101 is built for 868 MHz RF power sources and targets building, industrial, logistics and pharmaceutical monitoring without onboard batteries.

Why it matters: - Powercast is pushing battery-free sensing deeper into European connected infrastructure. - The PCTB101 is aimed at applications where constant environmental data matters, including smart buildings, logistics, industrial IoT and temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals. - The tag is designed to cut maintenance, reduce battery waste and support larger sensor deployments.

What happened: - Powercast announced the European version of its PCTB100 Battery-Free Bluetooth Low Energy Sensor Tag. - The company unveiled the PCTB101 Edge Node at Electronica 2026 in Munich at Booth C6.621. - The new tag extends the Powercast EDGE platform into the European market. - Powercast said the product is optimized for 868 MHz RF power sources.

The details: - The PCTB101 uses RF energy harvesting and Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity to deliver continuous temperature and humidity monitoring without an onboard battery. - The tag can receive wireless power from RF sources up to 25 meters away. - The device is 1.2 mm thin. - It measures temperature from –40°C to +85°C with ±0.1°C accuracy. - It measures humidity with ±1.5% RH accuracy. - Each tag includes a unique device ID so multiple sensors can operate in dense environments. - The physical form factor matches a standard RAIN RFID tag. - The design adds active sensing and BLE connectivity in the same footprint. - The BLE packets can be received by any BLE gateway. - Users can monitor multiple tags at once with the Powercast BLE smartphone app, PC BLE Tag. - Developers can contact Powercast at contact@powercastco.com for more information on PCTB101 tags or reference designs. - More information is available on Powercast's website.

Between the lines: - Powercast is positioning battery-free sensors as a practical alternative to battery-powered devices that need replacements and disposal handling. - The product fits broader European policy momentum around energy efficiency, smart buildings and sustainability. - The release ties the technology to the European Union's revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, Smart Readiness Indicator framework and Battery Regulation. - The unique identifier also opens the door to asset-level tracking and Digital Product Passport use cases.

What's next: - Powercast is directing developers to contact the company for product access and reference designs. - The company is signaling a broader rollout of battery-free sensing for European deployments. - Facility, logistics and pharmaceutical operators may be the first buyers most likely to test the tag in real-world monitoring systems.

The bottom line: - Powercast wants to make battery-free sensing a scalable option for European IoT networks, especially where maintenance, sustainability and continuous data collection all matter.