Harvesting low-grade wind energy from highways using a triboelectric nanogenerator

In an era of growing global energy demands, the exploration of niche energy harvesting methods is becoming increasingly important, and harnessing wind energy from highways presents a promising approach to sustainable infrastructure development given the high traffic of many roads. In this work, we report a cylindrical spinning TENG (CS-TENG) for low-grade wind energy harvesting from highways. Through empirical analysis and theoretical modeling, we investigate the feasibility of integrating CS-TENG devices along highway barriers to capture the wind energy generated by passing vehicles, which could contribute to powering streetlights and other road infrastructure in a more eco-friendly way. Our findings highlight broader societal and environmental benefits including enhancing road safety, traffic management, and energy sustainability. A single 100 mm tall CS-TENG device was tested with approximately 4 m/s wind speed and produced an open circuit voltage of 8 V and a short circuit current of 800 μA. This electrical output can be increased with an elevation in the device number, the device size, and improved material properties. This study contributes to the growing discourse on sustainable infrastructure solutions, inspiring further research and innovation in renewable energy harvesting for carbon neutrality.