Approaches for idle mode operations for wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs) with zero-energy (ZE) receivers are disclosed herein. A WTRU operating in idle mode, may receive using the main transceiver over a Uu interface, an energy harvesting (EH) configuration for use over a ZE air interface. The main transceiver may be turned off, and the ZE receiver as part of a ZE idle mode operation, may detect, over the ZE air interface, and harvest energy from ZE reference signals. The WTRU may calculate an amount of energy harvested from the ZE reference signals over a first time period. The WTRU may calculate a ZE idle mode operation energy consumption over the first time period. On a condition that the ZE idle mode operation energy consumption is greater than the harvested energy, the main transceiver may be turned on and the WTRU may enter a Uu interface idle mode operation.