Piezo-Power: Footsteps Power a Dutch Nightclub

‘Don't stop dancing!’ protests Club Watt, a Dutch night club that might literally come to a stop when people stop the boogie. At this unique club, a new form of energy is powering the dance floor and it is not alcohol or energy drinks.

Piezoelectricity, the energy derived from the vibrations of tiny crystals, is being used to convert the bouncing of dancing shoes into electricity to power the club. This new technology has really started to take off, too. Now you can find piezoelectric plates being installed under Japanese train stations and English supermarkets in an effort to harness the power of a city's moving masses. In Israel, they have piezoelectric plans to power 2500 homes with just a single kilometre of highway. There are even plans for piezoelectric shoes and clothes which can recharge your batteries – especially useful after a long night on the dance floor.