Clean tech company Pavegen has installed 200 kinetic-energy harvesting tiles into a Rio de Janeiro soccer pitch to help power the field’s floodlights.
Located in the undeveloped favela of Morro da Mineria, the lit up venue will provide players, including kids, with a safe place to practice their sport at night.
The Pavagen tiles are laid underneath a layer of astroturf and use the energy created by the player’s movements, combined with that harnessed by solar panels positioned around the field to power the lights for up to 10 hours on a full battery.
The tile system also includes a wireless Application Programming Interface (API) that collects real-time data, which can be transmitted to predetermined web addresses for analysis.
Pavagen has previously installed power-producing tiles at the Paris Marathon and London Olympics.
The company partnered with Shell to create the people-powered soccer field and hope that it will serve as a source of inspiration for the Rio community, empowering action through sport, as well as the alternative energy solution.
Find out more about the project in the video below.
Video: Shell
Courtesy Tree Hugger
