Energy Harvesting

One excellent side effect of the publicity that Al Gore is receiving for AIT is the renewed (you should pardon the expression) interest in all kinds of non-polluting, or green, energy. BBC has a fascinating article on one of the most interesting forms of green energy -- energy harvesting. As BBC explains, energy harvesting looks "at ways to tap into the energy available from the workings of the human body or transport vibrations." The article notes that the "concept was pioneered by the military sector, largely bankrolled by the DARPA in the United States (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency).

Their interest is mainly in reducing the need for soldiers to carry heavy rechargeable batteries that serve essential yet power-hungry communication devices. So they've looked at how 'heel-strike' generators, powered through the pumping motion of a footstep, can be embedded within a boot heel. These devices currently achieve upwards of 3 - 6 watts of power output."

The vibrations created when cars drive through tunnels could be used to power the lights in the tunnels. The vibrations created when hundreds of consumers walk from the subway to the street could generate the power used to heat the subway station. Eventually, energy harvesting could become a regular feature of all kinds of architecture.

There may not be one grand "answer" to our need for clean energy. There may be thousands of small answers that comprise both conservation and green energy. Energy harvesting is a great idea. Hopefully, the focus on AIT will lead to more funding for similar good ideas.