Facility:Innovate -
the energy harvesting company

"We develop technology that recycles wasted environmental energy"

Facility:Innovate is a sister company of The Facility Architects born from our innovative R&D projects. The devices we develop convert the mechanical movement associated with footsteps or transport vibration into electricity. For instance.
. Power a streetlamp from your footsteps
. Illuminate a railway tunnel from the vibration within the structure
. Charge your iPod whilst walking to the photocopier
. Illuminate the timetable in Victoria Station via the rush-hour commute
. Power traffic lights through the vibrations produced from passing traffic
. Harness engine vibrations to recharge your mobile phone
. Feed the floodlights of Wembley from spectators climbing the stadium staircases
. Capture lost energy from machinery to sell back to the grid
. Drive the plasma screens at your local gym whilst you exercise

When harvesting power from footsteps we use a flooring system that incorporates a matrix of hydraulic compression cushions. The energy harvested from every footstep pushes fluid through a micro-turbine, generating power that is stored in a super-capacitor. This electricity is then utilised locally.

When harvesting power from vibrations we use a magnetic beam and coil arrangement to power light fittings. The beam resonates in tune with ambient transport vibration within the generating coil. This electricity is then used to power LED emitters within the self-contained units.

Our energy harvesting initiatives have arisen from years of experience in environmental architecture. This includes creating an entire building from recycled materials and building a school which doesn't require heating.

Facility:Innovate R&D team are also developing variety of other methods to harvest lost energy.

Aims of Facility:Innovate

- To research and develop innovative hybrid zero-emission energy source using harvested vibrational sources
- To generate power through mechanisms that capture and make use of energy normally dissipated wastefully into the environment
- To apply these products practically in a built architectural environment
- To reduce the infrastructure costs of buildings incorporating wireless sensors within prototype harvesting light fittings
- For practical application and testing at a central London site within 12 months and incorporated in a building within 20 months
- Working with industry (rail and manufacturers) and the construction industry (architecture and development) to create innovative products that support this alternative energy source and supply