Stepping Up Power in Tokyo
TOKYO, Oct. 26, 2006 — -- Step on grapes -- the harder you press, the more juice you get. While this ancient practice is no longer used to make wine, a Tokyo train operator has borrowed the principle to squeeze out some power.
The East Japan Railway Company, or JR East, is trying out a way to convert the stomps of Tokyo train passengers into electricity. JR East has laid out six black rubber mats at the ticket gates of its main station. As people step on the mats, the special elements embedded beneath them use the pressure and vibration to generate electricity.
"About 760,000 people go through Tokyo Station on any given day," JR East spokesman Takahiro Kikuchi said. "We wanted to find ways to utilize the power of those people to create more environmentally friendly stations."
The company will collect data over a two-month trial to find out whether the mats actually have a practical application. A display board shows the amount of electricity collected each day.
Most people who walk on the mats and pass by the display board seem unaware that they are participating in research.
"I thought they were remodeling the floor or something. I had no idea these plain-looking rubber mats can generate electricity," said Takahiro Yonezawa, a Tokyo businessman. "I think this is a great idea. They can collect electricity without stopping the flow of commuters."
Although hopes are high for this latest technology to become an alternative source of energy, half a dozen mats at a single exit generate only enough electricity to light a 100-watt bulb for little more than a minute.
"We know we are so far from formally introducing this system at every JR station, but the technology is worth trying out if we can do something to power part of our operations," said Kikuchi. Even if mats are placed at every exit at Tokyo Station, the 760,000 daily commuters could only light a bulb for approximately 10 minutes.
Kikuchi said the company would study the data upon the completion of the trial in mid-December. "We will then decide how we will want to pursue this technology."
Some suggest that the mats should be tested in different places with possibly even heavier foot traffic.
"I think more electricity can be generated if they place them at a concert hall," said Rumi Sakano, a Tokyo officer worker. "Rock fans jump up and down for a few hours nonstop. That must be some energy."
JR East is one of many Japanese companies that are trying out various ideas to conserve energy. Such efforts have been on the rise in Japan since the 1990s, along with the use of the term "ecology."
"More companies are aware of their responsibility, especially after the Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1997," Kikuchi said.
Under the Kyoto Protocol of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Japan agreed to reduce the emission of CO2 by 6 percent of the 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012. The treaty covers more than 160 countries in the world. The United States has neither ratified nor withdrawn from the treaty.
Hideki Abe, a businessman who uses Tokyo Station every day, said corporations need to be aware of their responsibility for global warming.
"We try to turn off most lights and electric appliances during our lunch break," Abe said. "Resources are limited. Unless we each try what we can, we will never be able to tackle a problem as big as global warming."