"PaveGen" pavement slabs convert the energy from footsteps into electricity.

Discussion:  Recently, engineers have designed a paving slab that converts absorbed kinetic energy into electricity.  The kinetic energy is captured when people step on the stones– it is a real-world “crowdsourcing”  application.  Besides being a common-sense source of sustainable energy (walking is something people do anyway) the slab also brings the issue of sustainability to the forefront of people’s minds because the paving stones light up when stepped on.  The stones have become a very immediate visual reminder of where the energy is coming from.  The slab, “PaveGen”, is in the early stages of implementation; its success will be determined by how cost-effective it is to produce.

Source:  CNN

Date:  October 13, 2011

Link:  http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/13/tech/innovation/pavegen-kinetic-pavements/index.html

Discussion Questions:

• What other sources of kinetic energy (besides walking) could potentially be used as an energy source?

• What is a drawback of this type of energy source?