How LYBRA, Developed by 20energy, Transforms Traffic into Energy

Global energy consumption is expected to grow by 50% by 2050, while the share of renewable energy in the EU was only 15.3% in 2019. A scenario that highlights the need to adopt innovative technologies for energy supply. We have an enormous field on which everyone travels every day: the roads. Suffice it to say that in each average roundabout or slowdown lane, approximately 500,000 kWh of energy is lost every year.

LYBRA is a device developed by 20energy, which transforms the kinetic energy of vehicles (that produced in movement) into electrical energy. LYBRA’s ability to be installed in existing road infrastructure makes this solution particularly advantageous in terms of space and costs.

The mission of 20energy – an innovative startup that won the Creative Business Cup 2023 and was awarded the Special Mention “Eni Joule for Entrepreneurship 2023” – is to obtain 100% clean energy sources through the development of new energy harvesting technologies , capable of recovering the energy otherwise wasted during the deceleration of road vehicles.

LYBRA: Kinetic energy becomes electricity thanks to traffic

LYBRA is a solution for the production of electricity obtained from road traffic: flat panels covered in rubber and positioned flush with the asphalt, which recover the kinetic energy generated by moving and naturally decelerating vehicles, converting it into electrical energy. It is based on a system of patented electric generators which, activated by the passage of vehicles, transform linear motion into electricity.

LYBRA is a flat and modular device, 3 meters long and wide, which can be installed in succession to form energy platforms of different lengths. It is installed flush with the asphalt in areas where vehicles must slow down to maintain road safety.

When a vehicle passes over LYBRA, the surface of the device compresses slightly, activating electrical generators that transform the kinetic energy and heat otherwise dissipated by passing vehicles into electrical energy. In this way, the kinetic energy wasted by all the cars during slowdown is recovered.

The electricity produced is sent to a standard photovoltaic inverter for self-consumption or ready to be fed into the national electricity grid or even to be stored. LYBRA’s ability to be installed in existing road infrastructure makes it particularly advantageous in terms of space and costs.

The device can be installed approaching roundabouts, slowdown lanes, motorway telepass lanes, accesses to car park entrances and exits and other high traffic areas, without requiring significant modifications to the existing infrastructure. This makes LYBRA a practical and cost-effective solution for cities looking to increase the share of renewable energy.

A versatile solution currently being tested on motorways, but perfect for the urban city cycle, supporting the infrastructures of modern smart cities, impacting on: carbon footprint (a single system cuts 11T of Co2 per year), road safety (it is a slow motion like a bump without the typical “bump” of the change in height) and generates energy from a green and renewable source by exploiting an unexpected resource.

LYBRA numbers: 30,000 kWh using only 12 m2 of road

Each LYBRA system can produce up to 30,000 kWh/year using only 12 m2 of existing road, equivalent to 80-120 m2 of photovoltaic panels. The return on investment occurs in approximately 5 years, with a maximum ROI of 6 years. LYBRA is able to produce energy 24/7, even in adverse weather conditions, with constant performance for 20 years and helps reduce dependence on fossil energy, improving energy security.

Furthermore, it can also be used as a vehicle speed reducer (as if it were a speed bump, but with much less impact), increasing road safety.

Experimentation with Autostrade

Tests have begun on the A1, Autostrada del Sole, in the Arno Est service area: this experimentation confirms the robustness of the system, being installed in a toll booth particularly stressed by the passage of heavy vehicles.

Also in Tuscany at the Florence North motorway toll booth on a Telepass lane, two modules will be installed over which it is estimated that approximately 9,000 vehicles will pass per day (the average value necessary to produce 60 megawatt hours of electricity per year and guarantee the needs of a medium motorway barrier, such as that, for example, of Florence West). An experiment that will allow the elimination of 22 tons of CO2. The trial activated by Autostrade per l’Italia in Tuscany is the first of its kind in the world and promises to obtain clean energy and sustainable management of the motorway network.

20energy a SIOS24 Summer a Roma

If you want to know how LYBRA fits into the photovoltaic and wind market for energy efficiency, without however needing either the sun or the wind, taking up very little space? Are you curious to understand how traffic can become an opportunity to generate clean energy, decarbonising our cities?

The 20energy team will be present at the Innovation Village of StartupItalia’s SIOS24 Summer on June 20th in Rome. A day of networking where you can delve deeper into the technical and commercial aspects of LYBRA and create new collaboration opportunities.

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(Featured image by Aleksandr Popov via Unsplash)

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First published in StartupItalia. A third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.

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