Energy generation in public buildings using piezoelectric flooring tiles; A case study of a metro station

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Winter 11-22-2021

Abstract

The building sector is benefitting from the significant advancements in clean energy harvesting technologies. The function of building products is witnessing a huge leap to extend beyond mere functional requirements to account for the environmental benefit as well. Piezoelectric flooring tiles are amongst the most promising for indoor energy generation especially in public buildings with great occupancy patterns and intensity. Hence, this study presents a comprehensive review of literature for the use of piezoelectric. The next step deducted parameter integration for the proper selection of piezoelectric tiles. This determined its successful application in the building industry-especially the transportation section which has a notable contribution to energy consumption and emission release. These were divided into factors related to the project type and location, as well as proper selection of the piezoelectric tile product. This hypothesis was tested in the case study. Hence, the application of piezoelectricity was investigated in a Metro station in a core urban area in Egypt, with an estimate of almost 57,000 daily passengers. The selection of the metro line and station as well as the location of installing the tiles was based on the highest passenger density class which provided the greatest step-footage. Furthermore, the selection of the number and type of piezoelectric tiles was determined based on the current project's energy consumption. The study compared the two shortlisted types of tiles in terms of their power generation capacity, initial capital cost, lifespan and expected savings. The results showed that twelve tiles were needed to generate the station's needs for electric energy using Sustainable Energy Floor tiles while only eight tiles were needed using Waynergy piezoelectric tiles. The results also showed a decrease in energy consumption and carbon emissions.

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