Impact Technologies and faculty members of Syracuse University are ready to launch their prototype, the Self-Sustaining Street Light, which was first conceived in 2007.

Michael Pelken, associate professor in the School of Architecture and research fellow for the Syracuse Center of Excellence, worked with Thong Dang, a professor in the mechanical and aerospace engineering department in the L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science, to discover the idea of harnessing wind through technology.

In conjunction with Impact Technologies, a company that uses wind as an alternative energy form, the School of Architecture and L.C. Smith are helping to develop two prototypes: a solar lighting unit and a wind and solar lighting unit.

Pelken said Impact Technologies has been very helpful in the patenting process of making the prototypes. Though Pelken said they had hoped to install the devices on campus in spring 2011, issues with designs of the prototypes caused a delay.

There is no commitment to install the prototypes because they have not been up for sale yet, Pelken said. He said the wind turbines had previously been tested on SU’s South Campus because of good wind conditions.

Though the wind turbines are currently in the prototype stage, Pelken said they will soon begin the testing stage.

TriciaRae Davis, vice president of Impact Technologies, graduated from SU in 2007 with a major in physics. Davis said she would like collaboration between Impact Technologies and SU.

As the prototyping stage continues, Davis said the next step is to perform demonstration testing on them. For the solar and wind unit, this involves wind tunnel testing. The solar unit is tested in the lab with a solar panel, Davis said.

Davis said she is hoping to showcase the solar prototypes in approximately three months to customers working with them on the demonstration projects, but the solar and wind prototypes will need a longer period of time before they are ready.

‘We’d like to see them in parking lots and go from universities to big business,’ Davis said.

Davis said Impact Technologies was trying to make the price comparable to regular lighting, which is anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000 including infrastructure, she said.

Raymond Davis, the president and CEO of Impact Technologies, said the prototypes will have batteries that keep the units powered for a 48-hour period without any outside energy. For now, he said the batteries are standard, but the company hoping to explore newer technologies in the future.

Davis said he is excited to see the completion of the prototypes.

He said: ‘Our goal is to create a strong company, university alliance and better green technologies in the Syracuse and CNY region.’

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Published on January 31, 2012 at 12:00 pm