Israel's Innowattech Harvests Wasted Energy from Trains, Planes and Automobiles

 No stone is left unturned in our desperate search for energy sources to wean us from our dependence on fossil fuels.  Sources of primary renewable energy, like solar, wind, and geothermal are the primary focus, but some overlooked sources are also getting attention, because every little bit counts.

We’ve seen reports on generating electricity from stationary workout bikes, dance club floors and Japanese subway stations.  Now we cover the Israeli company of Innowattech, which developed a technology to harvest mechanical energy from roadways, railroads and runways and convert it into electricity.

The vibrations caused by the vehicles are transformed into an electric current by piezoelectric generators (IPEG), solid state crystals that convert mechanical stress into current or voltage.  The IPEG are connected to electrical storage or and electric grid and can be used for lighting, or eventually for charging electric vehicles.

An additional benefit is to use the piezoelectric network to record the weight, frequency and speed of the vehicles, providing information for “smart roads” that can be optimized for traffic flow, to reduce congestion and reduce pollution further.

While this clever solution does not create its own energy, it can still provide commercial amounts, an estimated 500 kW per kilometer for busy highways.  The company presents a cost table comparing various power technologies, although the numbers they present are different from the ones I’m familiar with (for example, as far as I know, solar power is on the order of 30 cents per kWh, and the payback times mentioned for the subsidized photovoltaic systems in Israel is about 10 years). 

Assuming, however, that the benefits are greater than the costs, this development could be a welcome addition to the sustainable energy arsenal.

Come see it in action and judge for yourself:  the public is invited to attend a demonstration of the technology on December 30, 2008 at the Technion in Haifa.  Details on the company website.

Links:
Photo: Flickr.com, Atwater Village Newbie
Innowattech’s website explains the technology
Inhabitat reports on the roads
Technology Comparison on Innowattech site

Graphics credit: Innowattech

Author: Daniel Pedersen

Having spent my Jerusalem childhood ear-deep in science fiction stories, I’m still waiting for clean and abundant fusion power. On the way, I dabbled in solar-powered desalination and alternative building technologies at Swarthmore College, and studied the chemistry and mutagenic effects of particulate air pollution at MIT for a PhD in environmental engineering. Since returning to Jerusalem in 2002, I’ve directed air quality research campaigns from Rosh Hanikrah to Eilat & Aqaba for Hebrew University. I’ve led cooperative regional projects, wrote a successful proposal for the largest air-quality study in the history of the Middle East, and established the first monitoring network in Palestinian cities. Last year I edited a weekly TV environmental spot on Channel 2 and wrote a companion blog. At Hadassah College I train the next generation of environmental science professionals, audit Israel’s chemical and environmental laboratories for the Israel Laboratory Accreditation Authority, and provide environmental consulting services to diverse clients. Daniel can be reached at daniel (at) greenprophet.com.

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