British Grocery Store Uses Kinetic Parking Lots for Power

At the new Sainsbury's supermarket in Gloucester, you can help provide power to the shop simply by driving your car through the lot.

By Kathryn Hawkins. Posted on June 18 2009

This week, British grocery store chain Sainsbury’s is opening a new store in Gloucester that is, quite literally, powered by the people.

There’s nothing too uncommon about the supermarket itself, but the parking lot offers a unique feature: kinetic road plates, which generate energy every time a car drives over them. The energy is harnessed through a generator, which processes about 30 kilowatts of power every hour. While that’s probably not enough electricity to charge up the high-tech gadgets at your local Apple store, it works perfectly well when it comes to powering the cashiers’ stands, allowing you to ring up your purchases sustainably (even if the food itself may not always be the greenest).

The shop is striving for eco-friendliness in all sorts of ways: it also features rainwater tanks to collect fresh water, solar hot water systems, and a design with a focus on natural light. Rather than dumping construction waste from the building site into landfills, the company recycled 90% of the material. The kinetic plate system, however, is the store’s true spotlight, and serves as a test case to see whether such a system can be functional on a large scale.

“If the plates prove effective we absolutely will look to roll it out more widely,” said a spokesperson for Sainsbury’s. “We estimate the system will recoup costs in two years, which isn’t always the case with green measures.”

While the idea may seem innovative, Sainsbury’s isn’t the first place to pull its power from the people: the Green Microgym in Portland, Oregon uses exercisers’ workouts on stationary bicycles to power the gym’s TV and stereo, and at the Glastonbury Music Festival later this month, music-lovers will have the chance to recharge their dying cell phones with a foot pump-powered generator. And as far as transportation goes, there’s one age-old human powered method that still can’t be beat: Walking.

Filed under: General Interest, Green, Science,

Liked this? You'll love these, too:

Tree-mendous! Seven of the World’s Most Extraordinary Trees

Take a look at some of the world's most remarkable trees. Read More
The Town without Trash: Kamikatsu, Japan

In this green Japanese town, all household waste is recycled into 34 separate categories. Read More
5 Reasons to Join a CSA Now

A community-supported agriculture program is a great way to get fresh veggies from a local farm all summer long. Read More
Green your Workplace with Tree-Free Paper

Want to make your office feel a little more eco-friendly? Then it's time to find out about the great alternatives to traditional wood-pulp paper. Read More
6 Good Reasons to Buy Locally

Check out these benefits for buying your fruit and vegetables from a local farmer or market. Read More