MotionPower Speed Bumps

Can Speed Bumps Do More Than Just Slow You Down?

Inefficient Energy

The dream of collecting energy from forward moving cars is one that has persisted despite the failures that inevitably follow. When it comes to energy, there is no such thing as something for nothing. Projects that clumsily convert energy from gasoline, then convert it to forward motion and then inefficiently convert it back to energy do nothing but prove themselves incompetent and taxing on drivers. New Energy Technologies, Inc. has plans to change that dream and make it a successful reality.

MotionPower™ Speed Bumps

In 2009, New Energy installed MotionPower™ speed bumps at a Burger King in North Carolina. The theory being that with all the traffic entering and leaving the restaurant and drive-thru their revolutionary speed bumps could collect a large amount of kinetic energy. However, motorists were already driving slowly through the parking lot and drive-thru lane. Chances were that they’d brake long before hitting a speed bump. Add to that the average carbon footprint of a fast food restaurant, the benefit of the possible energy collected was negligible. It wasn’t the best choice of testing to prove the MotionPower™ system’s usefulness.

Energy Success

In November 2011, New Energy partnered with Roanoke, Virginia, to install the MotionPower system speed bumps at the local civic center. There was a circus and gun show that weekend, and approximately 600 vehicles traveled over the speed bumps during a six-hour period. Obviously the civic center wouldn’t see that much traffic on a daily basis, but installed in a busy city, the speed bumps might prove useful.

On their website, New Energy claims, “Once fully optimized and installed, engineers anticipate that MotionPower™ devices may be used to augment or replace conventional electrical supplies for powering roadway signs, street and building lights, storage systems for back-up and emergency power, and other electronics, appliances, and even devices used in homes and businesses.”

Although still perfecting the speed bumps, the Roanoke demonstration collected enough energy to power an American home for a day. A residential application isn’t practical, however. MotionPower™ speed bumps installed on the other side of your garage doors won’t collect enough energy. You’re already slowly coasting down the driveway. Installed outside a commercial property, like an arena for example, makes much more sense energy-wise.

Placed across a ramp to an arena that gets high traffic for sporting events and concerts, the venue could possibly receive enough collected energy to power the electronic marquee already in use. This also makes sense for busy entrances and exits along a city grid.

Hopefully one day soon, a city will be able to replace its dependency on conventional electricity for signs and lights and use its motorists instead, one speed bump at a time.

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Chris Keenan is a green and general blog writer. He writes for many sites including Precision Garage Door. Chris also maintains a personal house and garden blog.