Eco Factor: Piezoelectric devices installed on highways to harvest energy from passing vehicles.
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Researchers at the Techion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa hope to convert open highways into renewable energy generators using the technology that has always made some heads turn – piezoelectricity. Developed by Haim Abramovich, the plan intends to place piezoelectric crystals under the asphalt that convert vibrations of passing vehicles into electricity.
Abramovich says that the crystals can produce up to 400 kilowatts from a 1-kilometer stretch of four-lane highway. Abramovich’s spin-out company, Innowattech, will begin testing the system on a 100-meter stretch of road in northern Israel in January.
The Dark Side:
Piezoelectric devices have always been criticized on being low on efficiency. If Abramovich can deliver highly-efficient devices then we might just see electricity generating highways all over the world.
Via: NewScientist
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