Tiles May Help Shrink Carbon Footprint by Harnessing Pedestrian Power
In areas with high foot traffic, installations of special flooring may prove that the answer to meeting energy demand lies right beneath our feet.
The slabs are produced by Pavegen Systems, a London startup launched in 2009 by Laurence Kemball-Cook, a fresh-faced, 26-year-old Londoner who developed his clean energy idea while earning a degree in industrial design and technology at Loughborough University. The 17.7-by-23.6-inch (45-by-60-centimeter) tiles are designed to be used wherever pedestrians congregate en masse: transportation hubs such as train, subway, and bus stations; airports; schools; malls; bustling shopping avenues. The power generated from millions of footfalls can be used to operate a range of low-power applications, including lighting, signs, digital ads, and Wi-Fi zones.
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Nearly 30 permanent and temporary Pavegen projects have been installed in the U.K. and Europe. For two years
