When you hear the words hydroelectric you probably think dam, or maybe a big underwater turbine. Small scale hydroelectric hasn’t really been tapped into, until now. The LucidPipe is the latest offering from Lucid Energy and is designed to be an inexpensive option for capturing the energy from water flowing through a city’s gravity fed pipes. The way the LucidPipe works is small turbines in a pipe capture the energy of falling water as it passes through the pipe. A device on top then relays the energy to power either a large city building or to offset the city’s energy bill. The city of Portland has upgraded a major drinking water pipe to use the LucidPipe system, and Lucid Energy is working on developing a pipe for individual consumers.
Drawing power from water pipes
More of Today's Solutions
Student Makers, a deeper dive: bringing free STEM to students on three contin...
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM This article kicks off The Optimist Daily's Local Changemakers 2026 series, spotlighting changemakers 30 and under. It was ...
Read MoreMeet Vivian Ho: the 17-year-old who built a supply network around dignity, no...
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM This article is part of The Optimist Daily's Local Changemakers 2026 series, spotlighting changemakers 30 and under. Most ...
Read MoreSperm-sorting tech identifies strongest swimmers to help couples conceive
In-vitro fertilization is certainly a potential avenue for couples who are having problems conceiving a child due to low-quality sperm. However, the unfortunate fact of the matter is that ...
Read MoreHow one Maine school is helping students heal in nature
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM At Morse High School in Bath, Maine, detention doesn’t always mean fluorescent lights and silent classrooms. Thanks to ...
Read More
