nPower PEG is a personal energy generation device that you can live with. It harvests human energy without harvesting humans.
Tremont Electric has developed a reliable technology that converts the kinetic energy created by the body's walking motion. Aaron LeMieux conceived the idea as a long distance backpacker in need of a way to charge his personal electronics. Realizing that his backpack was a significant source of kinetic energy, he began to incubate ideas and eventually created a new business.
The science behind the product is relatively simple. Kinetic energy is produced by human locomotion such as walking or running. Since people tend to move at a consistent frequency, the nPower PEG tunes into this frequency. For example, a person walking up a set of stairs expends some 200 watts of power.
Cell phone and other mobile devices have batteries that accept about 2.5 watts on a recharge. The nPower PEG harvests 1.25 percent of the energy that is normally wasted while walking and delivers it to the mobile device.
The nPower PEG is being tested by the U.S. Military for use in Afghanistan by soldiers, as a way to provide reliable energy for their communications devices.
Tremont Electric is also applying the technology to other forms of alternative energy generation. The nPower WEC (Waver Energy Converters) will convert energy from the waves in lakes and oceans to produce large-scale energy.