The　energy　constraint　is　still　a　common　issue　for　the　practical　application　of　wireless　sensors,　since　they　are　usually　powered　by　batteries　which　limit　their　lifetime.　In　this　paper,　a　practical　compound　energy　efficiency　strategy　is　proposed　and　realized　in　the　implementation　of　a　real　time　wireless　sensor　platform.　The　platform　is　intended　for　wireless　structural　monitoring　applications　and　consists　of　three　parts,　wireless　sensing　unit,　base　station　and　data　acquisition　and　configuration　software　running　in　a　computer　within　the　Matlab　environment.　The　high　energy　efficiency　of　the　wireless　sensor　platform　is　achieved　by　a　proposed　adaptive　radio　transmission　power　control　algorithm,　and　some　straightforward　methods,　including　adopting　low　power　ICs　and　high　efficient　power　management　circuits,　low　duty　cycle　radio　polling　and　switching　off　radio　between　two　adjacent　data　packets＇　transmission.　The　adaptive　transmission　power　control　algorithm　is　based　on　the　statistical　average　of　the　path　loss　estimations　using　a　moving　average　filter.　The　algorithm　is　implemented　in　the　wireless　node　and　relies　on　the　received　signal　strength　feedback　piggybacked　in　the　ACK　packet　from　the　base　station　node　to　estimate　the　path　loss.　Therefore,　it　does　not　need　any　control　packet　overheads.　Several　experiments　are　carried　out　to　investigate　the　link　quality　of　radio　channels,　validate　and　evaluate　the　proposed　adaptive　transmission　power　control　algorithm,　including　static　and　dynamic　experiments.