Las Vegas paves streets with kinetic tiles that generate energy through foot traffic and power street lights

EnGoPlanet, a New York-based company, has installed four streetlights near the Las Vegas Strip to be powered by solar and kinetic energy. This is the world’s first installation of this kind of off-grid lighting technology with both kinetic and solar energy. The lights will go on to energize several environmental monitors, help video surveillance, and even provide USB ports for those with low battery status on their devices.

“We think this can be a good substitution or alternative to traditional streetlights,” said Petar Mirovic, CEO of EnGoPlanet, to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Mirovic also believes that the solar- and energy-powered lights could eventually end up in other places, such as New York City parks.

The Las Vegas streetlights include a solar panel crest, reportedly generating 4 to 8 Watts just from pedestrians walking on them. With the amount of energy depending on the step, this collection of energy gathers in a battery to be used at night. The lights also have sensors that gather data, can monitor air quality, and include Wi-Fi hotspots.

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman mentioned the project’s efforts to emphasize the city’s alternative energy plans, which have been implemented through alternative fuel vehicles and a possible “innovation district” in the city’s downtown area. Mirovic emphasized the importance of having this alternative energy option, citing the Northeast’s response to Hurricane Sandy as inspiration for the streetlights.

“We couldn’t charge our phones, we couldn’t do anything,” he said. “We talked about how clean energy is all around us, but cities don’t have the infrastructure to harvest and store the energy.”

Long-term goals for the Vegas lights include cutting down on the approximate 100 million tons of CO₂ released annually to power 300 million streetlights worldwide. The color LED light fixtures can even be updated for holidays or special events.

“Our generation has the moral responsibility to transform our energy system,” said Mirovic. “[This] will revolutionize the way we illuminate streets. With many features, these street lights will make cities smarter.”

Source: ArsTechnica, CleanTechnica, Las Vegas Review-Journal