{"id":15523,"date":"2016-08-24T05:00:16","date_gmt":"2016-08-24T12:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/?p=15523"},"modified":"2026-02-22T15:40:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T23:40:17","slug":"tread-on-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/tread-on-me\/","title":{"rendered":"Tread on Me"},"content":{"rendered":"

By harnessing every footstep, Pavegen floor tiles turn walkways into energy sources and help cities convert pedestrians into power.<\/p>\n

What if that \u201cspring in your step\u201d could be converted to energy? Imagine your footsteps providing enough power to light the path you\u2019re w\"pavegen\"alking on, or even contribute to the overall load at the supermarket you cruise or the airport you rush through to catch a flight. For Pavegen CEO and Founder Laurence Kemball-Cook, every footfall provides an opportunity.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy idea was a floor tile that would convert the kinetic energy from a footstep into electricity,\u201d Kemball-Scott explains in an interview with The Guardian<\/a>. \u201cEvery time someone steps on the tile, they generate seven watts of power. The energy is stored within batteries, and then used to power lighting when it\u2019s needed. It\u2019s an off-grid power source for cities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kinetic Energy Recovery<\/strong><\/p>\n

With its triangular design, the Pavegen tile captures the downward force applied by each step across its surface. Outfitted with flywheels in each corner, one tread applies enough pressure to spin the tile\u2019s tiny turbines. Electromagnetic induction transforms this kinetic energy into electrical energy, which can then be stored or used.<\/p>\n

Describing the tiles to Bloomberg News<\/a> as \u201ca viable new type of off-grid energy technology,\u201d Kemball-Cook strongly believes in the product\u2019s potential for \u201ca low-carbon contribution wherever there is high footfall, regardless of the weather.\u201d<\/p>\n

Durable Design<\/strong><\/p>\n

Though Kemball-Cook\u2019s prototype met with lukewarm support \u2013 Al Gore and Shell were a few early advocates \u2013 improvements in durability and generation potential have increased interest in the Pavegen tiles. Kemball-Cook improved on the power generation of the initial concept by adding additional flywheels and a triangular design. The latest version of Pavegen is also stronger and more reliable.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe floor is one of the harshest environments known to man,\u201d Kemball-Cook tells Wired<\/a>. \u201cYou have to be able to withstand environment challenges, water, vandalism. You need good test equipment. We have a footfall rig with four pneumatic drivers that\u2019s being going nonstop for four years, running analytics and just trying to destroy the product.\u201d<\/p>\n

In its first iteration, Pavegen tiles only generated power when a foot\u2019s force met with exact center of the tile. After adapting his initial design \u2013 a process that took 6 years and 129 prototypes \u2013 Kemball-Cook debuted the V3 model in May of this year. This latest version pivots with each step, allowing it to generate up to 5 continuous watts of power \u2013 a 200 percent improvement over the first prototype.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the biggest moment in Pavegen\u2019s history,\u201d declares Kemball-Cook in a press release announcing the V3. \u201cWe\u2019ve created a product that can reshape the way people move in our cities, and with current digitization, our ability to connect physical and digital worlds through a single footstep places us at the forefront of the footfall energy-harvesting market.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smart Tech for Smart Cities<\/strong><\/p>\n

While 5-watts falls short of the power generation potential of solar or wind, Kemball-Cook believes a combination of higher efficiency and lower cost proves the Pavegen can play a major role in sustainable design and smart city infrastructure. Currently, the tiles provide lighting for soccer fields in Brazil and Nigeria and are installed at various spots throughout London, including a hallway at Heathrow Airport and offices and shopping centers throughout the city. The tiles also generated 4.7 watts during the 2013 Paris Marathon, and future installation locations include Oxford Street in London and even the walkways of the White House.<\/p>\n

While Kemball-Cook\u2019s focus has been flooring, Pavegen\u2019s technology has applications in wearable technology as well. David Horsley, a mechanical and aerospace engineer at UC Davis Wired<\/em> he sees the V3\u2019s data tracking capabilities as a natural ally to personal energy production and consumption.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not going to get very much for a step, considering you can get 100 watts from a square meter of solar paneling,\u201d says Horsley.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut for small wearable electronics like watches, or maybe even your phone, this kind of energy harvesting makes sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

Energy as Product<\/strong><\/p>\n

In a press release announcing Tribal Planet\u2019s partnership with Pavegen, CEO Jeff Martin expands on the smart city applications saying, \u201cEvery footstep you take is a vote. By giving the consumer this vote and showing that their footstep is valuable, more and more consumers will want businesses not to waste their footsteps. The decision about where they choose to go and which stores they shop at becomes a vote for sustainable energy. And smart cities begin from these votes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEnergy hasn\u2019t really been a consumer product. Even utilities are a very abstract idea,\u201d the former Apple continues. \u201cIs my utility getting this energy from nuclear power plant or a wind farm or a coal mine? I have no idea. It\u2019s probably a combination of all that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kemball-Cook foresees a time when the Pavegen tiles could interact with mobile devices to provide tracking information and power generation data. The data could be used as incentives, both commercially and personally.<\/p>\n

\u201cImagine if you go get sneakers, and you get money off, because you\u2019ve been generating energy in the store,\u201d muses Kemball-Cook. \u201cNot wasting your footsteps or anyone else\u2019s, really starts a conversation around energy that I think is more constructive than abstract concepts, like carbon-offset.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy vision is that this becomes a civic duty because sustainability and wellness are inextricably linked.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By harnessing every footstep, Pavegen floor tiles turn walkways into energy sources and help cities convert pedestrians into power. What if that \u201cspring in your step\u201d could be converted to energy? Imagine your footsteps providing enough power to light the path you\u2019re walking on, or even contribute to the overall load at the supermarket you […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":103,"featured_media":15526,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_s2mail":"yes","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2472,3230,6],"tags":[802,546,185,1549,1548],"class_list":["post-15523","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-energy","category-energy-suite","category-technology","tag-building","tag-data","tag-energy","tag-floor-tiles","tag-pavegen"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nYardi Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"By harnessing every footstep, Pavegen floor tiles turn walkways into energy sources and help cities convert pedestrians into power. 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