A new technology from Israel generates green electricity from cars and trucks along the highways

The Israeli start-up 'Innowattech' has developed a system of small generators, designed to be embedded under the highways' asphalt.

Every time a vehicle passes over the pad, this technology converts the unit’s natural compression into electricity - which is either stored in a battery for immediate use (such as powering the lights or the security cameras along the road), or channeled to the national electricity grid.

'Innowattech' CEO Lucy Edery-Azulay calculates that 500 trucks passing over a one-kilometer stretch of road, at an average speed of 72 km/h, can produce 200 kilowatts per hour. That’s enough electricity to provide the average consumption of 200-300 households.

Ironically, it's possible that Innowattech’s technology may not be deployed in Israel. “The number of trucks that we have in Israel is limited, compared to the number of trucks that travel on roads in Europe, Russia and the U.S,” says Edery-Azulay.

Trucks, however, are 'small potatoes' compared to trains. “a truck weighs around 40 tons, but each wagon of a train is more than double than that. It’s a huge amount of mechanical energy just waiting to be tapped”, relates Edery-Azulay.

With very little natural energy resources of its own, Israel is devoted to lead the development of alternative energy sources, including wind, solar, etc.