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.

Related Content

  • Countering truckers’ parking conundrum
    May 3, 2017
    Colin Sowman hears about a new truck parking information system being piloted across eight states. Legislation limits truck drivers’ hours with the result that they are often caught in a situation where they need to stop either for a break or an overnight rest. But as truck parking is in short supply, truck drivers spend an average of 56 minutes a day searching for available spaces and are often faced with the choice of driving beyond their permitted hours or parking illegally.
    Read More
  • LA can learn from Oakland UBM
    July 15, 2022
    Los Angeles is just embarking on its universal basic mobility journey – but fortunately the city can draw on the findings of a similar programme in Oakland…
    Read More
  • Cost Benefit: a roundabout way of lighting
    October 20, 2022
    One of Europe’s first smart lighting systems specifically for roundabouts is operating in Hungary and making big energy savings for local government, explains Miklós Muranyi of NIF
    Read More
  • Data exploits parking potential
    March 11, 2015
    David Crawford parallel parks with innovations in two continents. Surveys of US cities indicate that drivers searching for parking can account for up to 37% of all urban traffic congestion. A 2011 study by IBM of 20 cities around the world found that nearly six out of ten drivers had abandoned their search for a parking space at least once; while motorists generally spent on average 20 minutes looking for a sought-after spot.
    Read More

Highlighted Content