Roadway energy harvesting might not be a new idea, but linking it with the Internet of Things may at least bring new possibilities. That’s the hope of Greenville-based SC Launch firm Constructis, which is one step closer to its plan to blend zero-emission autonomous energy with connected sensors for roadways. According to President and CEO Jim Nigg, kinetic would be cheaper to build and maintain than alternative energy options, not to mention it leaves no need for acres of land.
“Solar, wind, kinetic, everything else, these are all ways to address our energy challenges, but we’re excited about this because it’s urban, it’s inner-city,” said Nigg, who spent 24 years as an international construction manager and contractor. “This is how we do this cheaper, because we just need a little spot on the street.”
Working in sets of two, the 5-by-3-foot modules can capture energy and collect sensory data in places such as roadways, ports, borders, bases, toll booths and weigh stations, among others. One set with an average traffic count of 10,000 cars per day, for example, could produce 1.3 megawatt-hours per year, or more than enough to power an average U.S. home for a month, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Kinetic energy as a viable option is relatively new for the U.S., though it’s catching on for use in cars as kinetic braking – also known as regenerative braking, an energy recovery mechanism which slows a vehicle by converting its kinetic energy which can be used immediately or stored – or in cranes with kinetic energy recovery systems as they rise and fall. The U.S. Energy Information Administration doesn’t yet track its production or cost in the country. Meanwhile, the department keeps vigilant records of coal, natural gas, nuclear, geothermal, biomass, wind, offshore wind, solar, solar thermal and hydro sources, said Nigg.
Based on his current design, Nigg said the cost of producing kinetic energy would be nearly half that of solar and wind power, or 13 cents per KWH compared to between 22 and 32 cents per KWH, including subsidies that don’t exist for kinetic.
“It’s really creating an entire industry,” he said. “Long-term goals, you can just see this thing is massive.”
Constructis is ready to field-test the modules as early as next spring in the Port of Savannah, said Nigg. His team includes a Greenville-based independent Ph.D. test researcher, as well as a network of engineers and service professionals.
The company launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to help fund field testing. The goal is $50,000, but will include $25,000 matching funds from the SC Launch program. While Nigg sees a plethora of grants for other forms of energy research and design – think solar, wind, even bio, he says – there are few options for what he calls “truly innovative” solutions like recapturing kinetic energy.
“Grant programs are really established for other government agencies, academia and large commercial organizations,” he said. “The challenge remains that these grants are all really focused, and there’s no other category.”
