Piezoelectricity Powers Streetlights in Toulouse

Walking the streets has never felt so empowering. Toulouse, France is going green in the way they are powering their streetlamps.

City officials have announced that they will be installing power-generating tiles in the sidewalks in the city center for two weeks as a test run of using people power to create electricity. Using piezoelectric technology which is essentially electricity produced by pressure is generated into the ground by people walking generates 50 to 60 watts of renewable power which is enough power for residents to generate electricity just by walking down the street!

Toulouse has been noted as the first city to experiment with the pressure-sensitive modules on the sidewalk and has installed eight modules as a trial section. It is undecided whether or not Toulouse will expand the sidewalk program, but if they do, hopefully it will catch on around the world and soon enough we can all produce energy by using basic elements of daily life.

Check this out to see another example of how piezoelectricity is used around the world.