Pavegen brings its energy-generating tiles into spotlight at Abu Dhabi event
At the 2024 World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, it is possible to use your footsteps to generate electricity, and in turn, power software that will help plant mangrove trees.
The flooring technology is being promoted by London-based company Pavegen, which has the tiles installed in more than 37 countries.
“There’s an electromagnetic generator underneath the tile, and when you step on it, the downwards motion of the footstep spins the flywheel within the electromagnetic generator,” said Farah Rashid, a sales executive for Pavegen. “The rotational energy is then converted into off-grid electricity.”
The company acknowledges that while the tiles generate a “relatively small amount of electromagnetic energy”, 3 to 5 joules a footstep, the installations have been able to illuminate LED street lights, charge small devices and even help irrigate wall garden installations.
Ms Rashid said the model on display at the summit was customised to use data from footsteps to interact with software which helps to fund donations to plant mangrove trees in the UAE. There are many ways the data can be used to inform, educate and help with various philanthropic causes, she said.
At Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, the company in partnership with Masdar City installed tiles in 2019 that linked terminals 1 and 2 and powered monitors showing the real-time creation of energy using footsteps.
“Our goal is engagement,” she said. “We want people to be educated on environmental issues and we want people to interact with the built environment around them as well as other people.”
Pavegen’s tiles have been used in Washington near Dupont Circle to power LED lights, and in locations around UK transport centres that help power monitors and mobile phone charging stations.
“We have them all over malls, transport hubs and public places with a lot of foot traffic,” Ms Rashid said.
One of the largest installations was at the 2013 Paris Marathon, where 176 tiles were placed to use the footsteps of the racers along the finish line on the Champs Elysee.
The data from footsteps can also be customised to create different games and interactive experiences.
The tiles were invented by Pavegen founder and chief executive Laurence Kamball-Cook, who described the opportunity to help support the UAE’s mangrove planting initiative as a “milestone”.
Founded in 2009, Pavegen recently received $2.1 million from equity crowdfunding, according to its LinkedIn profile.