Environment

Platio integrates solar panels in pedestrian walkways and street furniture

Platio integrates solar panels in pedestrian walkways and street furniture
Visitors to a pop-up park in Budapest, Hungary, can now charge their smart devices with energy supplied by Platio solar panels
Visitors to a pop-up park in Budapest, Hungary, can now charge their smart devices with energy supplied by Platio solar panels
View 19 Images
Platio's PV-packed paving tile houses all the necessary wiring and cabling for a quick install
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Platio's PV-packed paving tile houses all the necessary wiring and cabling for a quick install
One of two solar panel walkways outside the Green Quarter shopping mall in Astana, Kazakhstan
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One of two solar panel walkways outside the Green Quarter shopping mall in Astana, Kazakhstan
The Platio installation at the Green Quarter shopping mall in Astana, Kazakhstan, covers a total of 80 square meters and has a rated peak output of 11.7 kW
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The Platio installation at the Green Quarter shopping mall in Astana, Kazakhstan, covers a total of 80 square meters and has a rated peak output of 11.7 kW
The Platio paving panels at the Green Quarter shopping mall in Astana, Kazakhstan, will help reduce the center's grid power needs
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The Platio paving panels at the Green Quarter shopping mall in Astana, Kazakhstan, will help reduce the center's grid power needs
One of two solar panel walkways outside the Green Quarter shopping mall in Astana, Kazakhstan
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One of two solar panel walkways outside the Green Quarter shopping mall in Astana, Kazakhstan
Platio recently partnered with Marina System Ibérica S.L. to lay down some paving panels on harbor pontoons in Sweden
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Platio recently partnered with Marina System Ibérica S.L. to lay down some paving panels on harbor pontoons in Sweden
Platio's pontoon-based paving panels will supply electricity to ships and port facilities
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Platio's pontoon-based paving panels will supply electricity to ships and port facilities
Platio recently partnered with Marina System Ibérica S.L. to lay down some paving panels on harbor pontoons in Sweden
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Platio recently partnered with Marina System Ibérica S.L. to lay down some paving panels on harbor pontoons in Sweden
Platio's pontoon-based paving panels will supply electricity to ships and port facilities
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Platio's pontoon-based paving panels will supply electricity to ships and port facilities
A collaboration with Hello Wood has resulted in panels installed in curvy public benching at a pop-up park in Platio's home city of Budapest in Hungary
10/19
A collaboration with Hello Wood has resulted in panels installed in curvy public benching at a pop-up park in Platio's home city of Budapest in Hungary
Photovoltaic panel modules installed in smart benches at a pop-up park in Budapest will allow visitors to charge mobile devices using clean energy
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Photovoltaic panel modules installed in smart benches at a pop-up park in Budapest will allow visitors to charge mobile devices using clean energy
Electricity produced by the smart benches will be used to charge mobile devices plugged into USB ports dotted around the furniture, or wirelessly for Qi-compatible smartphones and tablets
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Electricity produced by the smart benches will be used to charge mobile devices plugged into USB ports dotted around the furniture, or wirelessly for Qi-compatible smartphones and tablets
A collaboration with Hello Wood has resulted in panels installed in curvy public benching at a pop-up park in Platio's home city of Budapest in Hungary
13/19
A collaboration with Hello Wood has resulted in panels installed in curvy public benching at a pop-up park in Platio's home city of Budapest in Hungary
Visitors to a pop-up park in Budapest, Hungary, can now charge their smart devices with energy supplied by Platio solar panels
14/19
Visitors to a pop-up park in Budapest, Hungary, can now charge their smart devices with energy supplied by Platio solar panels
Photovoltaic panel modules installed in smart benches at a pop-up park in Budapest will allow visitors to charge mobile devices using clean energy
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Photovoltaic panel modules installed in smart benches at a pop-up park in Budapest will allow visitors to charge mobile devices using clean energy
A collaboration with Hello Wood has resulted in panels installed in curvy public benching at a pop-up park in Platio's home city of Budapest in Hungary
16/19
A collaboration with Hello Wood has resulted in panels installed in curvy public benching at a pop-up park in Platio's home city of Budapest in Hungary
Electricity produced by the smart benches will be used to charge mobile devices plugged into USB ports dotted around the furniture, or wirelessly for Qi-compatible smartphones and tablets
17/19
Electricity produced by the smart benches will be used to charge mobile devices plugged into USB ports dotted around the furniture, or wirelessly for Qi-compatible smartphones and tablets
Visitors to a pop-up park in Budapest, Hungary, can now charge their smart devices with energy supplied by Platio solar panels
18/19
Visitors to a pop-up park in Budapest, Hungary, can now charge their smart devices with energy supplied by Platio solar panels
A collaboration with Hello Wood has resulted in panels installed in curvy public benching at a pop-up park in Platio's home city of Budapest in Hungary
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A collaboration with Hello Wood has resulted in panels installed in curvy public benching at a pop-up park in Platio's home city of Budapest in Hungary
View gallery - 19 images

Our roads, pedestrian pathways and street furniture can spend much of their days just sitting there doing nothing. Budapest startup Platio has spent the last couple of years developing a modular, self-contained paving panel that harvests the sun's energy to produce electricity. The panels have recently been rolled out in front of a shopping mall, at a harbor and integrated into outdoor seating.

The Platio panel joins a number of projects looking at tapping into the renewable energy potential of open spaces, including Solar Roadways, Wattway by Colas and Pavegen. Its PV-packed paving units are covered with high strength, anti-slip glass, are manufactured using recycled plastic waste and house all the necessary wiring and cables for quick install.

One of two solar panel walkways outside the Green Quarter shopping mall in Astana, Kazakhstan
One of two solar panel walkways outside the Green Quarter shopping mall in Astana, Kazakhstan

The startup's first permanent installation is made up of two pedestrian-friendly banks of paving panels at either side of the entrance to the Green Quarter shopping mall in Astana, Kazakhstan. The paving units cover a total of 80 square meters and are rated for 11.7 kW peak output. The electricity produced helps towards reducing the shopping mall's need for grid power.

Platio also partnered with Marina System Ibérica S.L. to lay down some more panels on harbor pontoons in Sweden, which will supply electricity for ships and port facilities.

Visitors to a pop-up park in Budapest, Hungary, can now charge their smart devices with energy supplied by Platio solar panels
Visitors to a pop-up park in Budapest, Hungary, can now charge their smart devices with energy supplied by Platio solar panels

And most recently, a collaboration with Hello Wood has resulted in panels installed in curvy public benching at a pop-up park in the startup's home city of Budapest in Hungary. Electricity produced by the smart benches will be used to charge mobile devices plugged into USB ports dotted around the furniture, or wirelessly for Qi-compatible smartphones and tablets.

The video below, with English subtitles, looks at the energy harvesting benches.

Source: Platio

Elkészült az első Platio felület Magyarországon

View gallery - 19 images
3 comments
3 comments
Tom Lee Mullins
I think that is both cool and green. It would be great for sunny locations. I think trees would cause it to not get the sunlight the solar panels would need to power things. Perhaps if it curved up to provide shade while keeping the solar cells in a location to receive sunlight and be protected from people walking on it? (and keep people from being on it when it needs access to sunlight to power those things that are connected to it?)
WilliamSager
I never understood the desire to place solar panels in locations people walk and drive. It just seems there are so many places that don't get abused to fill up first.
Gregg Eshelman
It would be better to put them on awnings, sunshades and walkway covers, angled at least somewhat toward the south, or north in the southern hemisphere.
Any time people would be walking over or sitting on them would reduce their output. Laying flat also reduces output.
They're basic rules of solar energy collection yet we keep seeing people coming up with concepts for placing photovoltaics *under* vehicles and people.