HYBRID THINKING

RAMPING UP ENERGY COLLECTION

Hybrid thinking isn’t the sole preserve of the automotive industry, there are examples of clever thinking all around us. Here are some of our favourites...

Speed bumps are a common traffic calming measure in towns and cities the world over; designed to slow traffic down. The fact that a large weight (a car) passes over them, creates the potential for energy creation that doesn’t require any change in behaviour from the driver or the vehicle.

Instead of conventional solid speed bumps or ramps, UK company Highway Energy Systems Ltd, has developed a height adjustable pad that can sit almost flush to the road containing a series of panels. When a car drives over it, the panels silently move up and down, powering a cog which turns a motor producing mechanical energy.

A steady stream of traffic can produce between 10 - 36kW of power from one ramp. A one mile stretch of road only needs four ramps to power all of its road signs, traffic lights and street lamps. The system is already in place in an area of West London and is being considered throughout Europe.

A very similar system is in place at a Sainsbury's supermarket in Gloucester in the UK where energy-capturing plates have been placed in the car park. When the weight of a car passes over the plate, a tiny rocking motion is created which, like the speed bumps, powers a generator. Sainsbury's is using this green energy to power its checkouts and expects the system to have paid for itself in only two years.

Clever thinking along very simple lines could have a dramatic effect on the way we power our towns and cities. Not wasting an opportunity has led to not wasting energy - and there's no compromise.