A Maryland company has designed a speed bump that probably will still annoy drivers, but it could also power your home.
New Energy Technologiessays its MotionPower Express system harvests kinetic energy from vehicles as they drive over the device. Then, the energy is converted into electricity that can be used to power street lights, school-zone lights or even a home.
According to a physorg.com story, the company is hoping cities might install the speed bumps in areas where drivers are required to slow down, such as toll booths, school zones and airport entrances.
The MotionPower Express system has been in testing for more than a year in cities like Roanoke, Virginia. With 580 cars driving over the rumble strip, the device was able to harvest enough electricity to power an average U.S. home for a day.
The device was also tested at a Burger King in New Jersey where the device could harvest energy from drive-thru customers.
But the fancy speed bumps aren’t cheap.
The company says they cost about $1,500 to $2,000, but they would pay for themselves in about two or three years.
If I put one in my shoes will I glow when I walk?
We could likely power the whole city with rumble strips on the freeways.
We could likely power the whole city with rumble strips on the freeways.
Except that you would need at least as much additional energy as you were generating. Whenever a car goes over a speed bump, it either requires additional energy to maintain its speed, or additional energy to get back up to speed. If these were used to replace existing speed bumps, then that’s not a problem, since the additional energy is currently being used anyway.
2 to 3 years? I’d be shocked if the moving parts on that thing lasted 6 months without extensive maintenance.