Pavegen are a clean-tech UK company based in London that manufacture and develop flooring technology, converting the wasted energy from your footstep into electricity. We have recently completed our largest installation to date in one of the most deprived areas of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Projects like these deliver an engaging experience, particularly for the younger generation, informing and educating the public about a tangible, sustainable alternative that is literally beneath our feet.
In collaboration with Shell, Pavegen helped redevelop a run-down football pitch in Morro da Mineira; a favela in Rio de Janeiro. Pavegen installed 200 tiles beneath the astro-turf, powering the surrounding lights through a combination of solar and kinetic energy harvested for the football players during a game. This first-of-its-kind project was officially launched by Brazilian football legend and Shell Ambassador, Pelé, on the 10th September this year.
This innovative technology benefits the whole community at night by providing the residents with an on-going power supply, as well as delivering a source of inspiration to children around the globe.
The tiles work in tangent with solar panels to power 6 floodlights surrounding the pitch in the evening, lighting up the community and making the pitch useable at night. This innovative project is part of Shell’s ‘Make the future’ campaign, demonstrating Shell’s commitment towards STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) careers. The project aims to inspire young innovators to pursue careers in engineering and science to engage a new innovation generation to shape the world’s energy future. CEO and Founder of Pavegen, Laurence Kemball-Cook, was a finalist of the Shell LiveWIRE UK Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2011 and firmly believes that “entrepreneurs should know no rules and overcome all barriers”. He approved of the collaboration with Shell because “the project emphasises the importance of STEM subjects within sport, encouraging young innovators of the future to make a real difference in their community.”
The Pavegen technology includes a range of features in addition to its energy generation capabilities. Using its wireless Application Programming Interface (API), the tiles can transmit energy to any designated web address, allowing for real-time data analytics and live footfall representation with the potential to incorporate the system into the smart cities of the future. The tiles can collate the daily amount of footsteps and energy produced by each tile and allows for interaction between the football pitch and the community. Increasing the engagement within the favela will help people recognise the opportunities for an innovative off-grid energy technology through the power of sport and encourage the young people to become the game-changing energy experts of the future.
This innovative technology benefits the whole community at night by providing the residents with an on-going power supply, as well as delivering a source of inspiration to children around the globe.
Pavegen have had previous installations in a range of sectors; from retail to transport. This year Pavegen have installed 51 tiles in Heathrow, Terminal 3, as well as creating an interactive dance floor for children in Westfield Shopping Centre, Stratford. Students from various schools competed to generate the most energy, lighting up a totem bar which photographed the event at maximum capacity. The dance floor installation allowed children to learn about science, technology and engineering from an environmental standpoint, as well as how they can make a difference to their energy usage in the future. Similar permanent installations within schools across the UK and US we hope will inspire students to pursue STEM careers. Tiles within Riverdale School, US, for example, power phone-charging stations situated outside the cafeteria. Students can charge their phones using the harnessed footfall energy of passers-by whilst gaining information on a clean-technology innovation at the same time.
Projects like these deliver an engaging experience, particularly for the younger generation, informing and educating the public about a tangible, sustainable alternative that is literally beneath our feet.
