A Framework of the Assessment of the Financial Feasibility of Utilizing Piezoelectric Harvesters in Roadways

Traditional energy production has inadvertently led to climate change and energy scarcity. In response, renewable energy has emerged and is continuously expanding to meet our demand for clean, sustainable, and renewable power. One promising avenue is the utilization of piezoelectric harvesters to extract energy from roadways. However, the initial embedding costs of these harvesters can be high. Therefore, conducting an economic analysis is crucial to determine the viability of investing in this new renewable energy source. This study aims to assess the economic feasibility of implementing this technology through the application of life-cycle cost (LCCA) and comprehensive economic evaluations. By examining a real-life hypothetical scenario, this study demonstrated that this system would incur higher costs over the study period. However, sensitivity analysis reveals that modifying certain factors, such as reducing the prototype cost to below $6, would result in a positive net saving.