Based on the summary of Wireless Sensor Networks' characteristics, we analyze the Wireless Sensor Networks' applications and its development trends, and put forward the factors that restrict the development of Wireless Sensor Networks. In this paper, we analyze the Wireless Sensor Networks development opportunities and challenges in the future, and provide some new ideas and enlightenment for the comprehensive development and widely used.

We analyze the solar-powered wireless sensor network's energy gathering techniques, aiming to prolong the lifetime of wireless sensor network. We summarize wireless sensor network node's energy autonomy system, its characteristics in detail and new technology adopts, provides some suggestions and new ideas in the design and research of solar-powered wireless sensor networks.

According to the energy constraints characteristics of Wireless Sensor Networks, how to optimize clustering, reduce the node energy consumption and balance the network energy dissipation is an main target, we proposes an Energy Efficient Clustering protocol based on Niching Particle Swarm Optimization (NPSO-EEC), the algorithm considers the factors such as the nodes residual energy and neighbor nodes status, etc. The simulation results show that the proposed protocol can balance the nodes energy consumption effectively, reduce the sensor nodes death rate, and prolong the network lifetime.