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English Market Produces Energy With Kinetic Plates

Posted by samzenpus on from the parking-power dept.

Johnathan Martinez writes "Sainsbury's market in England has installed 'kinetic energy' plates in the parking lot of its store in Gloucester. The plates are an experiment with a newer energy producing technology. The plates create as much as 30 kWh of energy as cars drive over them. The weight of the cars puts pressure on the plates creating kinetic energy to run a generator. The current is used to power the store and will lower the energy consumption of the market."

6 of 404 comments (clear)

  1. useful energy is not free by seanadams.com · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is just an gas powered electric generator, the likes of which rube goldberg would be proud of. You'd be better off siphoning a thimble of fuel from each car, selling it, and using the proceeds to buy electricity from the utility.

    1. Re:useful energy is not free by MichaelSmith · · Score: 4, Insightful

      This is just an gas powered electric generator, the likes of which rube goldberg would be proud of. You'd be better off siphoning a thimble of fuel from each car, selling it, and using the proceeds to buy electricity from the utility.

      True but if you are going to build speed humps and waste energy that way, this may make sense.

      --
      http://michaelsmith.id.au
    2. Re:useful energy is not free by Kickboy12 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Another Point: You ever driven in a parking lot? Count the number of speed bumps you go over. I wonder how "fuel" the stores are "stealing" from you by making you drive slow over these bumps. Replace those with plates. Might actually get some energy while making people drive slower at the same time. What a concept!

      --
      google.slashdot
    3. Re:useful energy is not free by Viol8 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      You're wasting your time trying to explain this I'm afraid. Some people are so utterly clueless when it comes to basic physics that it would be funny if it wasn't such a sad reminder of the state of schooling these days.

    4. Re:useful energy is not free by Peet42 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The numbers are bullshit, but so are all these suggestions that the plates are magically causing MORE gas/battery power to be wasted than would happen otherwise.

      Add together the energy required to lift the weight of the car up onto each plate, then back up from the level of the plate to street level after the plate has sunk down - you'll find it's more than the car would have used traveling the same distance on the level. They're effectively making each customer pay a levy to use their checkouts, yet making themselves look "greener" by shrouding it in misdirection.

  2. Re:No such thing as free lunch... by BeardsmoreA · · Score: 4, Insightful

    No. But afterwards, if you didn't give the engine any gas during the process, it would be moving slower. As lots of people have tried to point out, this might be desirable (see speed bumps). If the driver is just going to accelerate back to speed however, you have gained nothing.