To make up for the relative quiet last week (hope you didn’t miss us too much!) here’s another post to keep you going. Happy weekend!
Inhabitat and a free newspaper I found on the bus the other night were keen to discuss the merits of this new green energy Revolving door by Fluxxlab.
Image from Techchee
Inhabitat praise it as being “an ingenious sustainable energy harvesting idea that makes you wonder why no one else has thought of it before.” Sorry to burst the bubbles guys, but somebody did think of it: in 2005 on Halfbakery. But that’s not to discount the Fluxxlab team, not being the only ones to have the idea is negligible in the context that they are the only ones to have acted on it, apparently successfully. It is also, I think anyone would agree, a laudable goal.
However I find myself questioning the practical applications of this as a large scale solution. Particularily in London as I can’t think of the last time I encountered a revolving door that wasn’t automatic or partially powered for the benefit of the less able or less energetic of us.
Then there is also the problem of the additional friction necessary to generate any energy – unless I’ve misunderstood the design – meaning, potentially, a percentage of the population can’t get through the door at all.
But I think the solution to my concerns might also have been found on Halfbakery – as thekohser suggests “if you really want to power up a few lightbulbs with people exerting the energy, at least go to cooperative participants — try a fitness club (think treadmills and weight machines).” Now there’s an interesting way to keep gym membership costs down!
