Wireless sensor networks have become increasingly popular due to their wide range of application. Clustering sensor nodes organizing them hierarchically have proven to be an effective method to provide better data aggregation and scalability for the sensor network while conserving limited energy. Minimizing the energy consumption of a wireless sensor network application is crucial for effective realization of the intended application in terms of cost, lifetime, and functionality. However, the

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... nimizing task is hardly possible as no overall energy cost function is available for optimization. The need for energy-efficient infrastructures for sensor networks is becoming increasingly important. Wireless sensor networks are networks consisting of many sensor nodes that communicate over a wireless media. A sensor node is equipped with a sensor module, a processor, a radio module and a battery. Since the battery limits the lifetime of the sensor nodes it also limits the lifetime of the sensor network, thus energy efficiency is a major issue for sensor networks. An important goal in many sensor networks is to monitor an area as long time as possible. Hence, it is important to distribute energy consumption evenly across the network. When the energy consumption is evenly distributed, the major part of the sensor nodes will stay alive approximately equally long time.