Shoppers are turning their footsteps into enough clean, green energy to light up over 1,000 decorative lights on a shopping mall's Christmas tree.
Milton Keyne's Midsummer Place shopping centre has installed the ingenious power scheme to tap into the energy potential of the thronging crowds as they hunt for festive gifts.
The lights on the 20ft Norwegian Spruce are connected to special paving slabs that convert and transfer the energy of each footstep.
“Elf + Fitness” instructors are on hand to steer shoppers across the installed slabs, made from low-carbon steel and recycled rubber, and keep the lights burning and inspire healthy holiday cheer.
Midsummer Place’s groundbreaking Christmas tree was developed with award-winning sustainable technology innovators, Pavegen Systems, makers of paving slabs that generate electricity by harvesting kinetic energy from ordinary footsteps.
Laurence Kemball-Cook, founder and CEO of Pavegen, said: "Every year, nearly 7.7 billion kWh of fossil-fuel energy is used to power Christmas tree lights across the world. That's enough electricity to power London for 3 years.
“With Pavegen's innovative clean-technology, these Christmas lights can be powered by 100% renewable energy from footsteps... now, that's something to bring festive cheer!"
Martin Hindson, Centre Manager at Midsummer Place Shopping Centre, added: “The kinetic tree is a wonderful focal point for the shopping centre this Christmas and whilst it is fun and engaging for our shoppers, it also delivers a clear message about our ongoing commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability.
“As a major shopping centre we are extremely proactive with recycling and work hard with our tenants to ensure we lead by example on all energy saving issues.
“Many of these initiatives go relatively unnoticed and take place behind the scenes but the kinetic tree is our chance to involve the public at a busy time of the year.”
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