Transducers viewed as green energy source

By Kevin Smith, SGVN, kevin.smith@sgvn.com
Twitter.com/sgvnbiz
Posted:   12/18/2012 07:24:13 PM PST
Updated:   12/19/2012 10:19:05 AM PST

LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE

Traffic.

It's long been the bane of Southland commuters, many of whom must drive long distances to and from work each day. But what if you could harness all of that road surface vibration to produce green electricity?

That's what Assemblyman Mike Gatto, D-Los Angeles, hopes to do - and he's found an ally in the California Energy Commission. Building on an idea of Gatto's, the commission has announced that it will fund preliminary research on the potential of using the state's roadways to generate green electricity.

The research will focus on the potential of implanting small, round piezoelectric transducers - each a little smaller than a quarter - beneath the pavement of roadways.

"You would embed them about 10 inches down," said Gatto, whose 43rd Assembly District includes La Canada Flintridge. "If you've ever stood in a parking garage at a mall you can feel all of that vibration. Well, these transducers would gather that energy and it would be collected at a central source."

The vibrations would then be converted into electricity that could power roadside lights, call boxes and even neighboring communities.

The research stems from Assembly Bill 360, which Gatto authored. The measure was approved by the state Legislature in 2011 but vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown because of a lack of funding for the project.

Brown encouraged Gatto to work through the California Energy Commission's grantprocess to get the funding, however, and that has finally panned out.

"We don't know how much the funding will be yet, but this isn't one of those experiments that will cost millions of dollars," Gatto said. "First we have to collect the available studies. We sometimes try to remake the wheel, but we need to look at the existing scientific data on this."

Michael Gravely, a deputy division chief for the California Energy Commission's research and development division, said all the research, lab work and field testing that has been done on the subject is currently being compiled for evaluation.

"We'll look to see if it's cost-effective in relation to other renewable technologies," he said. "This contract is about a $95,000 research effort and it will tell us if we should move on to the next step."

Piezoelectric materials are currently used in everything from lighters to smartphones.

The energy commission is expected to complete its initial research on the technology by the end of January. Then it will determine if a small-scale-test project will be conducted by the state.

Gatto said Tokyo, Japan is already using a similar idea in its subway system.

"They put them in, not for the transportation, but for the humans who are stomping as they run for the subways," he said. "The European Union is putting some of these underneath their roads and Israel already has a road that is producing power."

The East Japan Railway Company installed piezoelectric flooring in their Tokyo railway station in 2009 and the energy generated by passing pedestrians powers all the displays in the station.

More recently, Italy has signed a contract to place the technology under a stretch of the Venice-to-Trieste Autostrada, and a dance club in San Francisco has piloted the technology under their dance floor to run their lighting. Then-Mayor Gavin Newsom also worked on piloting the technology in pedestrian walkways in downtown San Francisco.

Gatto chairs the Assembly's appropriations committee.

# # #

You can read this article and more at the Pasadena Star News HERE

Mike Gatto is the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee of the California State Assembly.  He represents the cities of Burbank, Glendale, La Canada-Flintridge, La Crescenta, Montrose, the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Atwater Village, and portions of the Hollywood Hills and East Hollywood.   www.asm.ca.gov/gatto  

PRESS RELEASE: Gatto Secures Funding for Cutting Edge Piezoelectricity Project

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                  Contact: Justin Hager: (818) 558-3043

December 17, 2012                                                                                                   Cell: (415) 889-9762

Gatto Secures Funding for Cutting Edge Piezoelectricity Project

SACRAMENTO – After two years of work, Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles) has found a new partner in the fight for green transportation and domestically produced alternative energy.  Building on an idea of Gatto’s, the California Energy Commission (CEC) has announced that it will fund preliminary research on the potential of using California’s roadways to generate green electricity.

The research will focus on the large-scale energy-harvesting capabilities of piezoelectric materials, which are currently used in everything from lighters to smart phones.  The research stems from a bill authored by Gatto, AB 306, which passed the legislature in 2011 with bipartisan support but was vetoed by Governor Brown because of a lack of funding for the project.  In the veto message, the Governor encouraged Gatto to work through the CEC’s grant process to obtain funding for the project, and a year later, the assemblyman has successfully secured the funding.

“I am excited to see movement on this important research,” said Gatto. “California is the car capitol of the world.  Just think how much energy we could create if we can harness some of the wasted energy produced by cars and trucks as they rumble down the roads.”

The science of piezoelectric roads works as follows:   When a car or truck passes over pavement, the pavement vibrates.   By placing relatively inexpensive piezoelectric sensors underneath a road, the vibrations can be converted into electricity to power roadside lights, call boxes, and neighboring communities.  It may sound like something out of science fiction, but this technology has been used for years in sonar, and is used every day in touch-screen phones to convert pressure into electrical impulses.  There is no extra energy needed for the car to transverse piezoelectric highways, because the sensors are located in the pavement itself.

Several countries have experimented with a road-based version of piezoelectric technology, including Israel, which has already placed this technology under some of their highways.  In 2009, the East Japan Railway Company installed piezoelectric flooring in their Tokyo railway station.  The energy generated by passing pedestrians is sufficient to power all the displays in the station.  More recently, Italy has signed a contract to place the technology under a stretch of the Venice-to-Trieste Autostrada and a dance club in San Francisco has piloted the technology under their dance floor to run their lighting.  Then-Mayor Gavin Newsom worked on piloting the technology in pedestrian walkways in downtown San Francisco.

“Now, California can join the ranks of nations who are actively seeking uses for this exciting new technology,” said Gatto.  “Thirty years ago, very few people would have believed that black silicon panels left in the desert could generate ‘solar’ power.  And just ten years ago, people were skeptical when you described a Bluetooth device. This technology is very real.  I’m glad the state is taking steps to keep California on the cutting edge of energy policy and I’m very pleased the CEC has embraced the possibility.”

The Energy Commission should complete initial research on the technology by the end of January, 2013 and will determine, based on their findings, if a small-scale-test project will be conducted by the State.

Mike Gatto is the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee of the California State Assembly.  He represents the cities of Burbank, Glendale, La Canada-Flintridge, La Crescenta, Montrose, the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Atwater Village, and portions of the Hollywood Hills and East Hollywood.   www.asm.ca.gov/gatto 

#  #  #