To achieve 2-year battery life from one LiPo cell, you must practice aggressive power management. Start with a low consumption MCU and utilize deep sleep modes whenever possible, as many of the more modern MCUs will draw microamperes (µA) when idle. Use duty-cycling for everything, including the sensors, the radios, and even the regulators; they should turn on only when needed.

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You can reduce the transmission time in all wireless communications (LoRa, WI-FI, BLE); wireless communications typically consume the largest amount of power. Make sure your firmware has been revised to allow for the controllers to be in sleep mode for an extended period of time in order to allow for quickly waking up, collecting data, transmitting data and returning to sleep mode. Additionally, reduce the quiescent current from your regulators and periphery.

The key to longevity is not purchasing a much larger battery; it is how much time the device spends in sleep mode.

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