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

  • Electric bus sector is game changer for battery market
    March 4, 2016
    According to Dr Victoria Adesanya-Aworinde, technology analyst at IDTechEx, the electric bus (e-bus) market is growing at a CAGR of 20 per cent in terms of unit sales. She says the rapid growth is a game changer for the battery market as electric buses require large-sized batteries ranging from 74 kWh (fast charging e-bus) to over 300 kWh (slow charging e-bus). IDTechEx Research forecasts that the e-bus battery market will overtake the consumer electronics sector by 2020. The new IDTechEx Research repor
    Read More
  • Survey: Majority of UK public remains worried about global warming
    August 4, 2015
    A new survey of over 2,000 members of the public by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and ICM Unlimited has found that 57 per cent of the public are worried about global warming, with 14 per cent saying they were ‘very worried’. The poll found that 64 per cent of people think global warming is already a problem now, while 70 per cent said they think global warming will be a problem in 20 years’ time. The main issues the respondents said they were worried about were flooding and sea level rises (63
    Read More
  • Transport industry experts gather in Brussels to commit to hydrogen mobility
    September 22, 2017
    Transport industry leaders have gathered in Brussels today to confirm their commitment to expanding the deployment of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure across Europe Global vehicle manufacturers, including Audi, BMW, Daimler, Honda, Hyundai, Symbio and Toyota, as well as leading hydrogen refuelling infrastructure providers, are gathering at the Hydrogen for Clean Transport conference to discuss and debate hydrogen-based solutions towards a zero emission transport
    Read More
  • Use of ITS technology grows more prevalent in safety applications
    January 30, 2012
    Transportation agencies and governments are using ITS technology to protect critical infrastructure from terrorist attack and other threats to economic security and public safety. Andrew Bardin Williams reports. It is no secret that we live in a potentially dangerous world. Terrorism as seen on 9/11 in the United States, subsequent attacks in London, Moscow and Madrid and other acts of violence across the developing world have made vigilance the watchword for ensuring security. Key infrastructure is now bei
    Read More

Highlighted Content