Sainsbury’s is harnessing people power to create kinetic energy and run its tills in a new technological breakthrough as the retailer looks for more environment-friendly energy sources.
Sainsbury’s is installing a revolutionary invention that creates green energy every time a customer simply drives into the car park to do their shopping.
The system, launched at the supermarket’s new green store in Gloucester this week, means that whenever a vehicle passes over the ”Kinetic Road Plates” in the car park, energy is captured which would otherwise be wasted. Sainsbury’s will channel the energy back into the store, saving power that would normally be taken from the National Grid.
The plates are expected to produce 30 kilowatts of green energy an hour, more than enough to power the store’s checkouts. The system, pioneered for Sainsbury’s by Peter Hughes of Highway Energy Systems, does not affect the car or fuel efficiency and drivers feel no disturbance as they drive over the plates.
The plates create a rocking motion when pressed down by the weight of the vehicle, turning generators beneath the ground and creating energy to power the checkouts and other devices within the store.
Alison Austin, Sainsbury’s environment manager, said: “This is revolutionary - not only are we the first to use such cutting-edge technology with our shoppers, but customers can now play a very active role in helping to make their local shop greener, without extra effort or cost. We want to continue offering great value but we also want to make the weekly shop sustainable. Using amazing technology like this helps us reduce our use of carbon and makes Sainsbury’s a leading energy-efficient business.“
This is one of a number of energy-saving measures at Sainsbury’s new Gloucester Quays store which will also look to solar power, water-usage and natural lighting systems to decrease its carbon footprint.
Since the opening of its flagship environmental store in Dartmouth last summer, many environmental measures have now become standard in the design of all new Sainsbury’s stores across the UK, including a recently opened store in Worcester.
The retailer also plans to bring in a further 50 vans powered by electricity in the London area, to add to its current fleet of 18, by September.
Sainsbury's Online, along with TNT Express, are two of seven UK companies working with London Mayor Boris Johnson to encourage the use of electric vehicles in industry.
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