Exploiting the traffic of cities to realize energy? It is possible thanks to piezoelectric materials put under the roads where vehicles pass every day. The so-called “piezoelectricity” is the capacity to produce electric current when subject to a mechanical stress, i.e. the movement of vehicles on the road. The company Innowartech, which launched the innovative idea, is now making test road in Israel.

The innovative system, relying on a “parasitical collection of energy”, could highly contribute to solve the energetic global crisis in an environmental-friendly way. Indeed, normally the total amount of mechanical energy produced by millions of vehicles moving on the roads all over the world is practically wasted .

A coat of piezoelectric crystals which produce electricity when these are crushed is installed under the first asphalt layer. Piezoelectric generators collect energy and accumulate it on batteries located along the road edges. This energy could be used by people, houses, offices etc.

According to Innowattech, the electric generator Piezo (the IPEG) should be able to produce 200 KWh, thus a four-lane road produces about 1 MWh of electricity, enough to supply energy to 2500 families. Considering that Israel has about 250 kilometers of roads where it is possible to install this type of technology and considering the traffic volumes and their increasing trends, we can adfirm without any doubts that a great amount of energy could be produced in this way.

The same technology could also be applied on runways in airports and on railways. The system could also provide real-time information on weight, frequency and speed of vehicles passing over and also the distance between them.

The system was revealed for the first time last year, and it is now one of the really exciting projects the bigger corporations for green power and the environmental organizations are examining and evaluating. What it is most interesting in this energy production system is that, in spite of other systems, this one does not require to build new infrastructures (i.e. poles for the production of wind power, solar panels).

Lucy Edery-Azulay, the project manager, says that the technology is based on piezoelectric materials which allow the conversion of mechanical energy exercised by vehicles’ weight in electric power. Therefore, this way of producing energy relies only on existing roads and exploits mechanical energy that otherwise would be unused and wasted.

Related articles

• http://it.emcelettronica.com/produrre-elettricit%C3%A0-mentre-si-guida-utilizzando-i-materiali-piezoelettrici http://www.innowattech.co.il/

Related articles

• Piezoelectric MEMS boosts vibration harvester by ten times (nextbigfuture.com)
• CA Highways could be a source of green energy (reviews.cnet.com)
• Calif. highways could be source of green energy (reviews.cnet.com)

By using appropriate driving style and habits drivers can save up to 15 percent of petrol, said a survey of the University of California. Researchers also tested a specific ICT tool which tell the drivers the most sustainable and eco friendly driving behaviours.

Under aggressive driving behaviours – i.e. full speed acceleration when departing from a stop at a green traffic light and then suddenly putting on the brakes at the next crossing – the engine burns more than 15 percent of petrol than when driving with a moderate approach. With this respect a new scientific discipline, the eco-driving, born just few years ago  to teach drivers how to reduce fuel consumption and to contribute to cut (even though not much) polluting emissions.

The “transportation Centre” of the University of California has just issued  a report collecting all the suggestions aimed at reducing petrol consumption, and has tested one of the many electronic devices available today to control fuel consumption and suggest to the driver the most appropriate  behaviour to that end. These systems can currently save of 6 percent of fuel when driving in town.

According to the Economist, today 1 percent of vehicles circulating in the US are equipped with similar devices, particularly trucks and hybrid cars, but, an estimate says that within 2020 one car in three will have on its dashboard an eco-computer to reduce consumptions and optimize the drive.

The system on which the University of California is working on puts together a GPS to observe position and speed, Google Earth’s maps to distinguish between roads and highways, and a series of sensors positioned on cars to control fuel consumption and exhaust fumes compositions. The system was put through test and resulted effective as all of the Californian drivers who tested it were persuaded to follow the eco-driving suggestions.

Shifting  to a superior gear as soon as possible, keeping the speed constant, anticipating traffic, accelerating and braking very softly, checking at least once a month tyre pressure – these are some the tips to keep fuel level up for a long time.

When in a queue it is better to move forward slowly rather than stop and start again: in fact to start again it takes more energy than increasing speed gradually. When possible, it is good to lower the clutch, trying to estimate when the car will run out of kinetic energy.

Maintaining tyre pressure always at the recommended level saves almost a tank full of fuel every year: flat tyres, in fact, cause more friction on asphalt and resistance in progress.

Premised that every car model behaves in a different way, in general engines begin to lose efficiency over 100 kms per hour. The time gained by further accelerating isn’t worth the burnt petrol!

In the United States an informal club of the so called “hypermilers” has already been set up: very conscientious drivers, who can “eco-drive” for 100 kilometres with only 4,5 litres of fuel even the so called gas- guzzlers.

Drivers’ behaviours are key elements on the way towards a more sustainable transport and SWOMM encourage all the experiences which could contribute to move forward… in a sustainabl!

Related articles

• repubblica.it/ambiente

Related articles

• Eco-Driving, Like Hypermiling, Saves Real Bucks (treehugger.com)
• Do You Drive Eco? – Discovery News (threefishlimit.wordpress.com)
• Eco-Friendly Tyres Now Available at JAXQuickfit Tyres (prweb.com)
• Teaching Green: Ford Empowers Eco-Drivers to Maximize Their Own Fuel Efficiency (prnewswire.com)

Electric vehicles will also be on exhibition at the Conference venue. The scheduled programme of the event and further information including an Italian press release are available on the Transdolomites website.

Transdolomites.eu

Related articles

• “Klimamobility” – 22 – 24 September 2011, Bolzano (Italy) (swomm.info)
• TRANSDOLOMITES 2010 Conference – Railways & Environment – 21 October 2010 (swomm.info)

The “Klimamobility” eco-vehicles showroom will be organized at the Bolzano Fair – which is strongly involved since 2005 in building a carbon-alternative energetic culture – with the support of several partners including the Bolzano Province and some local institutes devoted to technological innovation and environmental research.  It will be held in parallel to “Klimaenergy”, the event dedicated to renewable energies for commercial and public use that is taking place for the third year.

“Klimamobility” will host the exposition of two, three and four-wheeled EVs, tools and machineries for charging means, accessories and components for EVs as well as drive systems and everything revolves around the future of sustainable mobility. Furthermore, the event aims at embracing the largest possible number of existing contacts in the sector by providing information to the public on service and repair of eco-vehicles and foresees the presence of universities, consulting firms, research institutes and travel operators by sustainable vehicles.

In that occasion, current issues related to sustainable and electric mobility will be discussed in an international meeting, especially focusing on infrastructures for recharging vehicles. In this context, the Bolzano Fair  - the director Mr. Reinhold Marsoner explains –  “ by combining Klimamobility and Klimaenergy  aims at becoming a 360° platform for renewable energies in integrated systems and for sustainable mobility, where entrepreneurs, public officials and managers, specialized dealers, car rentals but also banks, financial services and R&D institutes shall meet for a prominent update in this field”.        

Related articles:

• http://www.repubblica.it/motori/ecoauto/2010/12/16/news/motori_klimamobility-10232760/
• http://www.ecocaronline.it/20101228/alla-fiera-di-bolzano-klimamobility-il-nuovo-salone-sulla-mobilita-sostenibile/
• http://www.aefi.it/Aefi/site/it/news/dettaglio-news?id=1873

Related articles

• European Mobility Week – 16 – 22 September 2010 (swomm.info)
• GM publishes “Blue Paper” on sustainable urban mobility; integrating input from Sustainable Urban Mobility events in Shanghai (greencarcongress.com)
• The Future of Sustainable Urban Mobility: Change People’s Behavior (thecityfix.com)

And now, besides their well recognized functional efficiency, metros will provide even energy efficiency. In fact, the city of Philadelphia is expected to install within few months an underground system that will contribute to the urban electric energy production. Thanks to the joint cooperation of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) and the Viridity Society, a study was produced that demonstrate the possibility of using the underground trains’ breaking – that is their kinetic energy – to accumulate energy that could be used also to empower the city’s electric network.

The Philadelphia public transport authority has invested some 900.000 dollars in this project, and estimates suggest this newly developed system will bear around 1200 tons of emission reduction and curb the SEPTA energy bill by 40%.

Such numbers – as well as similar projects carried out in Japan to produce reusable energy from subways – are an umpteenth proof of how important is research to improve the our way of moving and consequently the safeguard of the environmental sustainability of our cities and other human settlements.

Related articles

• Philadelphia Subway Trains to Start Producing Electricity from Braking (ecolocalizer.com)
• Harnessing the Kinetic Energy of Braking: A New Pilot Project in Philadelphia (worldchanging.com)
• Philadelphia Trains to Use Energy Created from Braking & Help Power the Electric Grid (cleantechnica.com)
• Paris Subway Riders to Heat Apartment Building (cleantechnica.com)
• Stop to go! Philly trains to recycle brake energy (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Paris Subway trains and riders to heat apartment building (greendiary.com)

Finland plan to build the first green highway was strongly advertised and made public last month. We also gave notice of it through the SWOMM website.

In a recent post, Bengt Magnusson, Editor-in-chief and Europe correspondent for the ERA magazine, in the Euractiv blog, introduced  a green highway project implemented by Sweden and Norway, which would now take the first place alongside the Finnish project on our ideal podium of innovative transport projects.

The Sweden and Norwegian Green Highway, in fact, stretches from the Atlantic to the Baltic, connecting Norwegian town Trondheim with Swedish town Sundsvall. The green Highway and the electric car project is one part in the effort of the Sundsvall-Östersund and Trondheim municipalities cooperation aimed to develop infrastructure and valid communications. The project is examining the feasibility of establishing filling stations for environmentally friendly fuels and charging poles for electric vehicles along the SÖT axis. Web-based map solutions and other information material aimed at marketing sustainable mobility solutions should emerge in the end together with other concrete final outcomes. The Municipality of Trondheim has already purchased 23 electric vehicles and several workshops on the theme had already taken place. Green Highway and the electric vehicle project form part of an European Interreg project started in 2008 and still ongoing.

According to the SWOMM mandate, we cannot but welcome more and more “green highways” including plans to promote the use of sustainable solutions for mobility, such as electric charging points or less polluting fuels… Thus… Are there other green projects which have the ambition to raise to the challenge?

Related links

• http://euractiv.blogactiv.eu/
• http://www.greenhighway.nu
• http://www.swomm.info

Related articles by Zemanta

• 300 Miles in an Electric Wheelchair: Norwegian Couple Protests Rail Restrictions (treehugger.com)
• 300 Miles in an Electric Wheelchair: Norwegian Couple Protests Rail Restrictions (treehugger.com)
• AutoblogGreen for 09.21.10 (autoblog.com)
• Taking the Next Step in Creating Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (ecogreenhotel.com)
• GE and Better Place Partner to Accelerate EV Infrastructure Deployment (eon.businesswire.com)

Google has launched Open Spot, a new app aimed at helping “driving users” to find and share parking spots.

How does it work? It is very easy: users update a map when they are leaving their parking spots, thus enabling other drivers who are looking for a parking spot in the same area to quickly find one.

You just need to use your phone. The app pulls up a Google map close to the user’s location and displays open parking spots within an area of 1.5km/0.9 mile radius. You could signal as available your parking spot when you are leaving… And when you are hopelessly looking for a spot to get to the shopping mall before the closing or to be on time with your dentist… you can hope that available spots have been signaled in the map by other users!

Spots are differently colored according to how much time has passed since they have been signaled…  You could thereby choose the “fresher” one. However, after twenty minutes they disappear off the map. Indeed, it was already suggested that the system would be even more helpful if there was a way for users to confirm that they have “taken” a spot.

Open Spot is a great idea: a system relying on cooperation to save time and avoiding stress of driving users. It also has a great environmental value as it could help in saving gas and thus reducing pollution.

The only problem is that the contribution of this app to improve the parking process within an area would be really effective only whether the system will gain widespread adoption. Otherwise, if you’re one of the only person in the area who uses the app, it will likely be useless.

Let’s start to download the app and try it.. Then we could convince others to join it!

Related articles

• Google Launches App to Help You Find Open Parking (http://mashable.com)

• Google Labs launches Android app for finding open parking spots (openspot.googlelabs.com)

Related articles by Zemanta

• Use Google’s Open Spot Android App To Find Parking Spots [Androidapps] (gizmodo.com)
• Open Spot Finds and Shares Free Parking Spaces [Download] (lifehacker.com)
• Google Open Spot (timesunion.com)
• Open Spot app helps Android users find parking (reviews.cnet.com)

“Espansione”, the monthly magazine of the newspaper “Il Giornale” dedicated to the economy, has always been focusing on the issues of energy, waste and eco-sustainability. The forthcoming event, organized in cooperation with other relevant partners, addresses the media, opinion leaders and citizens’ attention on such themes as well as to ease networking among stakeholders.

The event schedule includes a conference, welcoming all the stakeholders from public institutions, utilities, research, manufacturers etc. Moreover an exhibition will take place aimed at increasing the awareness of citizens for eco-sustainability, disclosing newer electric vehicles which will be launched on the market in the upcoming months.

The participation in the event is free of charge but seats are limited and registration is compulsory. To register, click here.

Join the event and move a step in the world of sustainable mobility!

Related link

• newspapermilano.it
• ilgiornale.it/espansione_pdf
• comune.milano.it

People enjoying winter holidays in the mountain generally come home with a beautiful tan, because of the stronger impact the sunbeams have on their skin due to the weakest filter exerted by the atmosphere. Today, a project from Fredrik Hilten – a Swedish industrial design student at Lund University – explores new ways of using this natural delight.

Taiyou is a solar cell powered lift system prototype, designed to be a potential replacement for the already existing gondolas that transport people in the mountains. The lift is powered by solar panels placed on the roof, and the batteries inside each gondola can store enough energy to complete the ride when there is no adequate sunlight. The ropeway moves on two wires, ensuring a better wind stability and also allowing to increase the distance between the towers. In Hilten’s concept, the usage of self-propelled pods will allow the system to operate also with few gondolas and therefore to have a low energy consumption compared with standard lift systems, which require lots of gondolas to be energy efficient.

Taiyou’s passengers travel on two-seat pods, equipped with security harnesses, and a sliding floor under the seats will provide balance depending on the lift’s tilt when is going up and down the mountains.

It is worth remarking here that further studies are certainly needed concerning the feasibility of this project and the concrete possibility to build such an infrastructure in a specific mountain location. It might be interesting to explore technical and financial requirements of this innovative system, and assess the environmental advantages which may result from the application of this technology at a certain scale. SWOMM 2008 already introduced the issue of ropeway lines as a peculiar public transport means for mountain towns. A further discussion on the topic would be welcome also in the incoming 2010 edition of the Workshop.

Will mountain lovers enjoy the beauty of the landscape looking out from this attractive and futuristic concept vehicle’s open sides in the future? Such a nice question absolutely deserves a credible and sound answer from the experts’ side.

Links to the related articles in the following websites

• www.tuvie.com
• www.thedesignblog.org
• www.greenmuze.com
• www.funiforum.org
• http://psipunk.com
• www.igreenspot.com
• www.trendhunter.com
• http://techonova.com
• www.solaripedia.com
• www.gizmodo.com.au

Related articles by Zemanta

• Solar glazing chases sun from dawn until dusk (innovationtoronto.com)
• solar pixel (designboom.com)
• Kia introduces concept hybrid vehicle that utilizes solar energy | Cooler Planet News (solar.coolerplanet.com)

Greenpost is a project co-financed in the frame of the European “Intelligent Energy Europe” (IEE). Partners from public boards as well as from industrial and environmental organisations are committing themselves to boosting the sustainability of post deliveries.

The core of Greenpost is the promotion of efficient electric and hybrid vehicles for postal deliveries. The postal agencies of the countries involved (Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy and Hungary) are testing different vehicles to assess the more cost-effective and the less polluting solution.

Aim of the project is to exchange best practices and know-how for improving energy efficiency in the postal as well as in the whole transport sector and to reduce air pollution. Greenpost has started in 2006 and it will close in June 2010.

Actually, in few months, sending our mails could be less polluting than it used to be.. and without coming back to carrier pigeons!

Link to the website

http://www.greenpostproject.eu/