Green sidewalk makes electricity -- one footstep at a time

[News Feed]

Paving slabs that convert energy from people's footsteps into electricity are set to help power Europe's largest urban mall, at the 2012 London Olympics site.

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[redrumloa]

Topper.

 

[the_leander]

I think I still prefer the monster raving loony party's idea for heating to be fitted to pavements.

Yes, they are a real party.

Yes, that was one of their manifesto goals.

And I for one would die a happy man to see the speaker of the house be forced to call "Baron Von Thunderclap" to stand and ask his questions in a debate.

 

[cecilia]

Paving slabs that convert energy from people's footsteps into electricity are set to help power Europe's largest urban mall, at the 2012 London Olympics site.

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I seem to recall someone doing something similar a couple of years ago with people going through a door.....forget the details now, but I love this kind of thinking. Can you imagine the energy harnessed in New York? Especially Manhattan with millions of people moving about every day and night?

 

[cecilia]

Renewable energy tops nuclear power in the US

 

[FluffyMcDeath]

I'm highly dubious. Light an LED street lamp for 30 seconds? Maybe light a single LED for that long. You might get a joule or two per step, that seems a reasonable ball park from a quick back of the envelope - but whatever energy you get isn't free - it has to come from the walker. Any pavement that can extract non trivial energy from walking would make walking more tiring.

 

[ilwrath]

From the article...

The recycled rubber "PaveGen" paving slabs harvest kinetic energy from the impact of people stepping on them and instantly deliver tiny bursts of electricity to nearby appliances.

Any pavement that can extract non trivial energy from walking would make walking more tiring.

Not necessarily more tiring. If you're harvesting the impact of the foot on pavement, you're getting the energy that is lost as impact shock back into the walker's leg. The walker gets a softer surface and less impact injury, rather than more resistance. No more tiring than walking on padded carpet, or wearing a walking shoe. Ironically, the pavement would probably produce less energy from walkers wearing walking shoes because the shoe would absorb part of the energy, while my steel toe boots could probably light half the block.