California aims to generate electric power from traffic congestion

California is planning a US$2.3 million initiative that will generate electrical power from traffic, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The California Energy Commission recently voted to fund two piezoelectricity projects, which convert pressure into power. One pilot will test a 200-foot-long piece of asphalt on UC-Merced’s campus, which is designing a 200-foot stretch of asphalt that will be sowed with inch-wide piezoelectric generators, which will be stacked within arrays below the road where it is
April 20, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
California is planning a US$2.3 million initiative that will generate electrical power from traffic, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The 4259 California Energy Commission recently voted to fund two piezoelectricity projects, which convert pressure into power.


One pilot will test a 200-foot-long piece of asphalt on UC-Merced’s campus, which is designing a 200-foot stretch of asphalt that will be sowed with inch-wide piezoelectric generators, which will be stacked within arrays below the road where it is hoped they will convert the force of passing cars into a small electrical charge.

The resulting electricity could be used to power nearby lights and signs, stored in batteries or sent to the grid, Sun said. The more traffic there is, and the heavier the vehicles are, the more power can be created. Some state estimates suggest that just 400 cars an hour would need to pass over the arrays to make them economically viable.

The second experiment will be built by the San Jose green technology company Pyro-E. The company's technology is expected to generate enough power to supply 5,000 homes using less than a half-mile of piezoelectric highway.

Both pilot programs are expected, within two to three years, to be able to give California officials an idea whether the effort should be expanded. By developing new technologies like piezoelectricity, the Energy Commission is looking to help meet the Legislature’s target of producing 50 per cent of the state’s power from renewable sources by 2030.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • InfoConnect delivers accurate travel information on all levels
    August 1, 2012
    Deryk Whyte provides an overview of how the New Zealand Transport Agency's InfoConnect concept was developed. Historically, the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) (formerly Transit New Zealand) has faced challenges in communicating effectively with road users, its customers, about highway-related events or incidents in a timely, accurate manner. Prior to 2007, Transit relied on a third-party organisation to collect and disseminate national road condition information. This often resulted in incomplete infor
    Read More
  • PostPullers features high speed powered puller
    April 6, 2016
    PostPullers, a UK company specialising in the manufacture of machines that remove posts from the ground quickly and easily, will use Intertraffic to feature a manual and powered puller. The PostPuller machine can extract posts with heavy concrete footings in minutes which otherwise would take hours of back-breaking work if done manually. The complete post and footing can then be simply wheeled away.
    Read More
  • Rural roads ‘critical to moving people and goods’
    June 25, 2015
    In his opening statement at the US Subcommittee on Highways and Transit Hearing on Meeting the Transportation Needs of Rural America, chairman Sam Graves said that even today, 71 per cent of all lane-miles of public roads and 73 per cent of all of the nation's bridges are located in rural areas. In his home state of Missouri, the role of rural roads is even more pronounced: 82 per cent of the public roads and 81 per cent of bridges are in rural areas, and these roads carry over 40 per cent of all travel in
    Read More
  • First Transit launches AV pilot
    December 12, 2016
    US-based First Transit, in partnership with EasyMile, is to carry out the first autonomous vehicle (AV) passenger shuttle pilot in North America, at the 585 acre Bishop Ranch Office Park in San Ramon, California. The shuttle will connect tenants to multiple transit options including bus, bike and car-sharing services. The AV passenger shuttle is designed to travel short distances using pre-programmed routes. Each shuttle can carry 12 passengers and can operate for 14 hours on a battery charge; it is equi
    Read More

Highlighted Content