As you are walking down city streets, little attention is ever paid to the pavement that you are walking on. Throughout the day, one single piece of pavement can be stepped on upwards to 50,000 times. Now think about if all 50,000 of those steps hitting the pavement could generate energy. This would be able to supply enough energy to be distributed to nearby lights, traffic controls, information displays and much more. This is exactly what Pavegen, a new product from Pavegen Systems Ltd., is capable of doing.
With a small flex of 5mm, the Pavegen is absorbs the kinetic energy from every footstep which creates 2.1 watts of electricity per hour. Every time the rubber Pavegen is stepped on the kinetic energy is absorbed and either stored in polymer lithium batteries or dispersed throughout the city. A whole bus station can stay illuminated the whole night by the energy generated from just five Pavegen slabs in high foot traffic area.
