Eco Factor: Prototype streetlight runs on wind energy.
Solar energy for lighting systems does open up a new era of gadgets that promise to be green and clean all through their lifetime. However, solar energy doesn’t power these lamps when you need them, but they make use of costly and un-ecofriendly batteries that could store power during daytime and release it as night falls. Wind energy takes us a step forward here as it can power a system during nighttime as well.
Toshihiko Suzuki Architects and Associates have developed a new wind-powered lighting system that uses wind speeds of 1.5m/s to rotate a lampshade measuring 30 cm in diameter. The energy generated is directly used to illuminate the LEDs. Excessive power is stored in a nickel hydride battery for quiet evenings.
The Dark Side:
The illumination provided by the LEDs is extremely faint and would only be sufficient if the lights are used in a garden. For streets the illumination needs to be greater, which will need the lampshade turbine to churn out more power.
Via: DesignBoom/TDB
