Well, that isn’t exactly true. You can provide energy for free, but it doesn’t mean that there aren’t costs associated with the generation of it.
When we started Alpha 311, our initial intention was simply to provide enough energy to power a highway streetlight without cost. We wanted to save local authorities this expense (and associated carbon taxes) so that their funds could be spent on the local community.
Then we discovered the true energy potential of ultra-lightweight turbines installed on lighting columns being driven by passing traffic.
Opportunity
This has presented us with ‘other opportunities’.
Internal sensors can monitor the status of each turbine and the road/environment around it (air quality and traffic flow, for example).
We’ll generate more energy than a streetlight needs, so that excess energy can go elsewhere; for example, micro-cell solutions.
A quick note: did you know that Ericsson has developed a 5G micro-cell with a 1KM broadcast range that only uses between 5-7KwH of energy a day?
Then there are the offsite solutions (non-highway); for instance, directly powering businesses.
When a company is spending 2/3 of its monthly electricity bill on delivery/transmission charges there are obvious savings to be had by generating and storing your own energy.
Pipe dreams?
Nope. Welcome to the last four months at Alpha 311. We’re having active conversations about all of the above.
‘Other opportunities’ like these are enablers. They will enable us to facilitate the vision of providing ‘free’ and low-cost energy.
Powering streetlights, at no cost, is now possible and we can also greatly reduce transmission costs by localising energy generation.
