Tech | February 06, 2010 | 27 comments

Eco shocker: Turbine Light concept uses wind to light highways

source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/06/eco-shocker-turbine-light-concept-uses-wind-to-light-high...

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absworldone
Ingenious, eco-friendly concepts are all around us, there's no denying that. This one caught our eye because it's pretty innovative, seemingly well thought out, and good looking to boot.

The Turbine Light concept (which is going to be a part of the upcoming Greener Gadgets conference in New York City at the end of this month) harnesses the power of the wind from cars rushing past to light up the ever-darkening roadways.

The turbines use the wind collected to generate energy for the lighting, and while the concept lacks a lot of firm details so far, but we're sure to find out more about it soon -- we'll be sure to check them out at the conference on February 25th.

Hit the source link to see more concepts, along with other people and companies who will be there.
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    Green,  Green Living,  Green Energy
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27 comments // Eco shocker: Turbine Light concept uses wind to light highways

  • Wetdog
    • 0
      Wetdog  

    • absworldone----------"i think this is a good idea. if it makes the earth a better place then let's do it"--------

      What a great idea, let's put up wind powered lights so that we can continue to burn petroleum as fast we can day and night.

      We can destroy and pollute the earth twice as fast.

      And we can pat ourselves on the back and say we are being "green" and saving the earth at the same time.

      Do you REALLY think that is such a good idea absworldone?

      I think maybe you've been distracted by the paper lanterns hanging on strings and taken your eye off the tiger in the bushes behind you.

      That's exactly the tiger wants you to do.

    • 2 years ago
  • absworldone
  • bigloutech
  • hack26
    • 0
      hack26  
    • bigloutech:

      I guess so, good observation! Also it's assuming there's enough traffic to create enough wind...

      Not too much and not too little, but just right. They should consult with Goldilocks on this issue.

    • 2 years ago
  • absworldone
  • bigloutech
  • brit50
    • 0
      brit50  

    • Great idea and I love to see new innovation. But, in my opinion needs more developmet and improvement before ever being considered as being put into real use.

    • 2 years ago
  • absworldone
  • hack26
    • 0
      hack26  
    • absworldone:

      Yeah, I was joking on the 'disgusting' part.

      Either way, the energy is coming from our cars which means we're paying for it from our own pockets. The savings they get from these lights should be passed down to us in tax-cuts!

    • 2 years ago
  • Wetdog
    • 0
      Wetdog  
    • absworldone:

      Hybrid cars still need petroleum to drive. Hybrids cars do not solve anything. They are very expensive, and use scarce resources and tons of energy(to manufacture batteries). And give only marginally better mileage. And the efficiency improvement is mainly in only city driving---very little in long distance driving.

      Hybrid cars are worse for the environment than plain old internal combustion engine cars.

      The problem is what we put in them. The octane rating of gasoline is so low(87) you can't get enough compression to be efficient. If we use biofuels(biodiesel or ethanol)----internal combustion engines can be made as much or more efficient than hybrids. No batteries required.

      from hack 26---------"Either way, the energy is coming from our cars which means we're paying for it from our own pockets."------------

      Then what you want is a vehicle that runs on CNG(compressed natural gas). CNG is ultra clean, and it is easy to convert engines to run on both liquid and gaseous fuel at the flip of a switch.

      It costs about 1/2 to drive a car on methane(natural gas) the same distance as it costs with petroleum.

    • 2 years ago
  • hack26
    • 0
      hack26  

    • The lights harness the power of the wind from cars? So this is actually just another form of energy from fossil fuels disguised as green energy... How disgusting!

    • 2 years ago
  • QuestionGeek
  • Wetdog
    • 0
      Wetdog  

    • ----------"The Turbine Light concept (which is going to be a part of the upcoming Greener Gadgets conference in New York City at the end of this month) harnesses the power of the wind from cars rushing past to light up the ever-darkening roadways. "---------

      When I'm driving at night, I prefer to have the light in front of me where I'm going, not behind me where I've been.

    • 2 years ago
  • hack26
  • VoyagerFilms
    • 0
      VoyagerFilms  

    • Sweet! There has been no incentives since so much of our society has been focused on self-improvement via purchasing crap or trying to keep up with the Jones. As far as city, state and federal governments, well they've been far too self consumed for the most part to see beyond themselves and all the crappy politics that has enriched corporation and hastened the destruction of our ecosystem

    • 2 years ago
  • absworldone
    • 0
      absworldone  
    • VoyagerFilms:

      you're right.. in the meantime we are left to deal with it as taxpayers..

      so either way, we're paying for it.

      atleast they look nice to the eye, so i'd rather have them than the plain light fixtures if we're buying.

    • 2 years ago
  • ocanada
    • +1
      ocanada  
    • Image

    • Truly Beautiful. My city and many others already employ solar powered trafic signals. I'd love to see these employed together with L.E.D. lights for both the signals and in lighting the highways.

      In a related note, isn't it crazy how New York is slowly turning into the world of bladerunner and all these other futurist dreams?

    • 2 years ago
  • absworldone
    • +1
      absworldone  
    • ocanada:

      yeah, i agree. eventually all cities will switch over.
      i am from ny, i have moved to la.

      it is funny to see how the changes have been so swift..
      embrace change, it's a good thing.

    • 2 years ago
  • bethopea
  • absworldone
  • bethopea
  • Lurkistan
    • +1
      Lurkistan  

    • Great idea, I wonder though why as a society it takes us so long to come up with the simplest ideas sometimes (myself included of course)

    • 2 years ago
  • absworldone
    • +1
      absworldone  
    • Lurkistan:

      i think we are so used to the bigger is better mentality. now that we know bigger isn't better.

      better is being efficient & low impact on the planet. new technology has made us much more able to be better.

    • 2 years ago
  • Sublime_Emperor
  • absworldone
  • fun_size
  • blackheartman
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