Passing cars produce power in pilot test of breakthrough concept

Drivers passing through the Hefer intersection along the old coastal road of Route 4 yesterday morning generated electricity without even realizing it.

They did so by driving over a ten-meter strip of asphalt, underneath which lie generators capable of producing some 2,000 watt-hours (Wh). The power is then relayed to batteries situated beside the road.

This is the first practical test of the innovative technology developed by Innowattech and the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology. The pilot is being conducted in cooperation with the Israel National Roads Company.

If the pilot test is successful, the project is expected to be expanded. Generators will be situated in one-kilometer strips along Israel's highways.

The project manager, Dr. Lucy Edery-Azulay, explained that the generators developed by Innowattech are embedded about five centimeters beneath the upper layer of asphalt.

"The technology is based on piezoelectric materials that enable the conversion of mechanical energy exerted by the weight of passing vehicles into electrical energy. As far as the drivers are concerned, the road is the same," she says.

Edery-Azulay added that expanding the project to a length of one kilometer along a single lane would produce 200 KWh, while a four-lane highway could produce about a MWh - sufficient electricity to provide for the average consumption in 2,500 households.

Initial surveys by the scientists found that Israel has about 250 kilometers of roadways suitable for the technology, in terms of volumes of traffic, and the mass of vehicles taking the roads. Suitable roadways include the Trans-Israel Highway (otherwise known as Highway 6), the Ayalon Highway in the country's center, and the coastal highway.

The technology also enables the supply of electricity to various "consumers" located alongside the roads, such as traffic lights, lighted billboards, police speed cameras, communication systems or road signs, Edery-Azulay said.

Weather conditions do not effect the electricity production of this technology, nor does it require special allocation of land.

In addition, the technology allows electricity to be harvested near the end consumer, rendering conduction infrastructure unnecessary, Edery-Azulay said.

Large 'green' energy and infrastructure corporations worldwide are following the project closely, and have expressed unprecedented interest in the breakthrough technology being developed in Israel, she added.

"The success of this week's test is an important milestone in this technological breakthrough," commented Alex Wisznicer, CEO of the Israel National Roads Company. "We live in a tiny country that has a large advantage in terms of research and knowledge compared to many countries around the world seeking ways to conserve energy that goes to waste.

"We are happy to assist anyone seeking to cooperate with us in new developments. Innowattech researchers have brought us a true innovation, which is still under development," said Wisznicer.