Is Energy Harvesting Practical?

Wireless sensor networks are great for instrumenting processes and locations that are difficult, uneconomical, or just plain impossible to cable. Energy-harvesting technology can free you from the periodic battery replacement/recharging maintenance chore. But how practical and mature is the technology? Is your organization using energy harvesting for sensor nodes? If so, what's been your experience? Any consequences that you hadn't expected? If you've considered or are considering the technology, are there specific issues holding you back? What forms of energy harvesting (solar, wind, thermal, vibration, etc.) have you found most practical and/or cost-effective? Why?

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