I’ve noticed an increasing trend recently of people trying to squeeze out energy from every possible nook and cranny. The latest example of this is the world’s first energy-generating revolving door located at Natuurcafe La Port in the Netherlands.
The door, which will provide energy savings of about 4600 kWh each year, is part of a larger sustainable refurbishment of the railway station.
Natuurcafe’s door uses a generator that is driven by the energy applied when people pass through. Supercapacitators store the generated energy and provide a power supply for the ceiling’s LED lights. If the LED lights use up all the stored energy, the control unit switches to the building’s main energy supply.
A large display inside the railway station shows how much energy is being generated by the revolving door as a service to curious patrons.
Personally, I’d like to see the Natuurcafe amp up its energy-generating capacity with a piezoelectric floor.
Photo Credit: Natuurcafe La Port
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