Green Ideas and Designs: Turbine Lighting

By Dallas Harris

The Transoft Solutions team appreciates great ideas, innovative gadgets, interesting redesigns, and environmental sensitivity. TAK Studio has submitted a cool green idea with the Turbine Light for road way light standards as their entry into the Greener Gadgets competition, going on in New York on February 25, 2010. Although the idea of turbine lighting isn't really new, TAK Studio has come up with a great looking design that just may free up extra power on the grid by using the air turbulence of passing vehicles.

When you consider that the number of motorist is growing as is the demand for safer road ways, it almost makes sense, doesn't it? Is this a viable option for our roads, we think it could be, but as always we are interested in what you think of this idea. Leave a comment below with your thoughts on the Turbine Light.

 

Comments

[Hazardous location lighting]

WOW! this looks really brilliant. Hope to see these on the streets in the near future.

[Tom]

How much do they cost compared to current street lights? How much is the long term cost of maintaining each and every bearing on each and every light? What happens during the periods of low traffic count and no wind? What is the TCO, given the turbine life expectancy, with regards to the electricity savings? Going green is great, but is meaningless until you assess the REAL cost. Another one, how much more in engery and raw materials does it take to manufacture these over current street lights? These are the questions that MUST be asked before we just go green because it sounds good and looks cool. To do otherwise is to not truly use our engineering skills in the real world.

[HGM Associates Inc.]

Seems like a great idea. I wonder if they tested optimal blade design or if it's just the idea they're selling. Seems smart for the right locations.

[William]

Not enough wind power at that height to even replace the energy cost of manufacturing. Waste of time. (Unless it's a motorway following a coast in an extremely windy part of the world with no trees)