The Road to the Future May Produce Its Own Electricity

Some 250 million vehicles drive over 6 billion miles on American roads every day. To exploit this as an untapped resource, New Energy Technologies has developed its MotionPower technology, which captures the kinetic energy of these cars and trucks and uses it to generate clean electricity. In Israel, engineers are testing a network of Piezo Electric Generators (IPEGs) to convert the mechanical strain of passing vehicles into electrical current.

In the U.S., MotionPower prototype systems have been installed for testing in three locations – at a Burger King in Hillsdale, NJ; a Holiday Inn Express in Baltimore, MD; and a Four Seasons hotel in Washington, DC. Installations at these high-traffic commercial sites are focused on durability testing of the MotionPower™ technology and for optimizing the system for real world applications.

The MotionPower system features an ultra-low profile modular device that can be readily customized to varying lengths based on site requirements. MotionPower modules can be quickly and easily installed directly atop existing roadways with little or no modification to the roadway itself. Any components in need of replacement or repair can be replaced without major construction work or traffic delays.

MotionPower devices for cars and light trucks would be ideal for installation at high traffic locations like toll booths, traffic intersections, drive-throughs, rest areas, travel plazas, border crossings, and parking sites. Electricity generated from these devices could be used to power roadway signs, street and building lights, storage systems for back-up and emergency power, and other electronics.

New Technology has also developed a second system that can generate electricity from moving trucks, buses, and other large load-bearing vehicles. This energy harvester is fluid-driven while the one for cars and light trucks is mechanical.

Israeli engineers are testing a 100 meter stretch of roadway embedded with a network of Piezo Electric Generators developed by Innowatch, a spinoff of the Israeli University. Using the piezoelectric effect, piezoelectric crystals produce electricity when squeezed, with up to 400 kilowatts potentially generated from a one kilometer stretch of dual highway.

The generators, mounted with electronic cards that supply a storage system, are embedded between the roadway’s superstructure layers and are typically covered with an asphalt layer. Embedding the generators and electronic cards can be done while paving new roads or retrofitting existing roadways.

The company is developing a wide range of piezoelectric generators with sizes varying from a few centimeters to networks covering large surfaces. The technology is also applicable to airport runways and railroads. Harvested energy can be transferred back to the grid or used for specific public infrastructure purposes such as street lighting. Of course, energy generated by highways could also be used to power the ‘smart roads’ of the future.