Supermarket Parking Lot makes its own power

At Coolest Gadgets, we love to report on new ways to make energy from methods where energy goes to waste. About a year ago, it was the Revolution Door, a revolving door that is connected to a turbine, harnessing the energy for when people walk through the door.

Here is a another gem of an idea when it comes to energy conservation: a power-generating parking lot. It works with a series of plates that create a rocking motion when cars drive over them. The rocking motion can turn generators and thus make power.

How much power? It can make about 30 Kilowatts of energy per hour, to be exact. You may not think that isn’t enough, but it could be enough to power the store, including the registers.

So, what are we looking at, a future where every store is powered by a parking lot generator? Considering how many cars go over supermarket parking lots every day, this looks to be a welcome change.

It also looks like we are entering an age where we harness all the power we can, from any place we can. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone figures out a way of using the power of my typing hands to power my laptop. Feel free to lieave a comment if you have any other energy-making ideas.

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4 Comments on “Supermarket Parking Lot makes its own power”

CrankyAshley Says:

I read an article yesterday about a gas (petrol, silly Brits) station in the UK that is actually doing this. They just implemented it. On top of that the station uses solar power to heat it’s water (100% of it in the summer) and rain water to flush it’s toilets.

(Yes I know the possessive of it isn’t “it’s”, but I disbelieve)

Fmk Says:

Quote: “Supermarket Parking Lot makes its own power … make energy from methods where energy goes to waste”

Nice business idea, however, energy is never “made”, it is converted from one form to another. In this case each car will contribute a little bit of energy by burning just a little bit more fuel (hopefully not fossil) to overcome resistance driving over the series of plates.
So, unfortunately it won’t do much for the planet and of course the customer pays the stores power bill.

Phil Says:

They should out implemented in the freeway to make more power. They could power the street lamps etc.

Davy Says:

As far as the car having to put out more energy, don’t most larger supermarkets have speed bumps placed intermittently across the lot? So if this were to replace those concrete speed bumps, it wouldn’t use any more fossil fuels than already being expended (I theorize)

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