In this age of ever evolving and new technologies, kinetic energy has appeared as a topic of discussion to possibly be used for future construction projects. As we become ever more energy conscious, with strict targets to hit, finding alternative sources of clean energy has become vital. So can kinetic energy take up the mantle and drive us forward towards a green future?

Firstly, let’s look at the fundamentals of what kinetic energy is. All moving things have kinetic energy. It is energy possessed by an object due to its motion or movement. These include very large things and very small ones. The heavier a thing is, and the faster it moves, the more kinetic energy it has. The amount of kinetic energy that all moving objects have depends on their speed and mass. For example when a car brakes the kinetic energy is changed into heat energy.
So why is this becoming so popular? Well, most of the energy resources that we have are non-renewable and this is something that is concerning people globally, not least of which those responsible for delivering large scale construction projects under strict energy targets. The pace at which human dependence is growing on non-renewable resources calls for the allocation of more and more energy resources that are renewable and more efficient. Kinetic energy is a renewable energy that is being harnessed to serve as a major power source.

There are companies actively exploring the possibility of using kinetic energy for future projects. These range from using the energy created on pavements from footfall, or exploring the potential of kinetic energy in roadways. Kinetic energy is a clean energy that has not received the kinds of attention solar or wind energy has. However, that looks set to change as companies test the potential of what it can do, and on the premise that it shouldn’t be too difficult to work on projects that aim to produce kinetic energy.
The future of kinetic energy seems bright. It is about utilising simple everyday activities of human beings like walking, running, opening a door, writing, harnessing energy released from a movement of a vehicle’s tyre and so on. As new projects begin to take off and industry professionals embrace it, it might be time to through our energy behind kinetic.

Updated 6th June 2017
Touching on the idea of Kinetic energy being used on our roads, Italian startup Underground Power is exploring the potential of kinetic energy in roadways. It has developed a technology called Lybra, a tyre-like rubber paving that converts the kinetic energy produced by moving vehicles into electrical energy. Developed in co-operation with the Polytechnic University of Milan, Lybra operates on the principle that a braking car dissipates kinetic energy. The cutting-edge technology is able to collect, convert this energy into electricity and pass it on to the electricity grid. In addition to improving road safety, the device upgrades and promotes sustainability of road traffic.

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