The FINANCIAL — Amid a search for greener and sustainable energy, one US company is introducing a way to capture otherwise-wasted energy from rolling cars and trucks to generate electricity.
Although the notion of "harvesting" kinetic energy is not new, the "rumble strip" devices by Maryland-based New Energy Technologies appear to be among the first coming to the market offering a way to generate energy from moving vehicles.
"We take some of that rolling resistance and capture it and convert it to electricity," company chief executive John Conklin said.
As drivers slowed down, or came to a stop, their vehicle tyres depressed small rumble strip-like treadles, allowing for the capture of kinetic energy.This captured energy was converted to electricity, which powered a series of brightly illuminated lights displayed to drivers.
Because the amounts of electricity generated are relatively small, the best use would be in areas where the electricity can be used locally instead of transmitting over a distance.
Conklin said this type of system has tremendous potential in high-traffic areas, such as sports venues, shopping malls, and toll and border crossings, to power lighting and other systems.
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