Inventor harnesses energy from truck traffic

Every day, thousands of trucks rumble through Oakland, spewing pollutants on their way to the giant port.

Inventor Terry Kennedy decided to do something about that. He invented a clever device that takes advantage of the weight of the trucks to apply pressure to a plate. This pressure creates a liquid flow that turns a turbine and generates electricity.

Enough for the equivalent of 1,700 homes.

So as the trucks spew their pollutants, they are also contributing energy that helps the Port of Oakland go green. The invention now furnishes about 5% of their electricity needs, which may sound like nothing - but still amounts to a pretty penny each year.

The "Dragon" is spreading fast to other ports and communities, as the idea literally makes something out of nothing, and costs relatively little to install.

Great idea!

Filed under: dragon, trucks, pollution, traffic, energy, and green