Last but definitely not least, I bring you one of my favorite LED lighting applications from the London Olympic Games. Less about flashy decoration and more about interactive sustainability, this clever design ensures footsteps of participants will help to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the Olympic games. Created by PaveGen, a London-based sustainable design company, 20 square panels illuminated with LED puck lights have been installed in the walkway leading to Olympic Park. Heavy foot traffic in and out of the stadium ensures thousands upon thousands of people will step on these floor tiles, which are able to capture the kinetic energy of each passerby.

Each footstep transmits about 7 watts of power through the slab to nearby outdoor LED lighting, which can run for 30 seconds off of each stomp. Officials expect more than 12 million footsteps will be made upon the tiles during the Olympics, which will create enough energy to illuminate the Olympic walkway for 8 hours of full power at night and 16 hours at half-power throughout the day. An estimated 35% surplus of energy will be stored in batteries and used later. Clearly, this product could (and should!) be used in heavy foot traffic areas of cities nationwide!

Thanks to PaveGen for the images.