Wired is running an article on using floors to capture energy. Since walking causes vibrations energy is being produced and right now that energy is being wasted, Jim Gilbert wants to change that using some new technologies to capture that energy. The biggest hurdle, like with all renewable energies, is energy storage.

“Gilbert is working with hydraulic-powered heel-strike generators, which he believes could be installed in the floors of busy public places like subway stations. Those stations typically capture the footfall of 20,000 commuters an hour during peak usage — multiplied by 5 to 7 watts a person, that’s more than enough to power a building’s lights for the day.”