Every day, millions of people walk through shopping malls. Families strolling between stores, friends meeting for coffee, travelers exploring new cities, it’s a constant rhythm of movement and connection. But what if all that movement could mean something more? What if every step taken inside a mall helped generate clean energy and awareness for sustainability?
For architects and developers, kinetic walkways open up a new dimension of possibility. They transform a space that already thrives on human traffic into a living part of a smart building, where energy is generated, tracked, and visualized in real time. Instead of simply being energy consumers, malls can become visible symbols of innovation, where visitors don’t just shop but experience sustainability in action. That’s the idea behind Energy Floors: making energy tangible, interactive, and human. And nowhere is this vision more vividly realised than at Green Pea Mall in Turin, Italy.
Sustainability you can feel
Green Pea is the world’s first shopping centre built entirely around sustainability. Every part of its construction, from recycled materials to solar panels and rainwater systems, is designed with environmental responsibility in mind. Across all entrances, visitors walk over Energy Floors’ kinetic tiles that convert footsteps into electricity.
Each step helps power small-scale applications like phone charging stations and interactive booths in the mall’s Discovery Area, where children play energy-powered games such as Flappy Bird and Frogger. Real-time displays show exactly how much energy has been generated, turning motion into measurable impact. The result? A retail space that doesn’t just talk about sustainability: it demonstrates it, step by step. You can read more about it here.
The untapped potential: When millions of steps add up
While Green Pea’s example is inspiring on its own, the potential impact becomes even more striking when considering high-traffic malls worldwide. For instance, Dubai Mall welcomed 111 million visitors in 2024, and Mall of America in the U.S. sees roughly 32 million visitors annually. Even if each visitor took just ten steps on a kinetic walkway, the combined energy generated could reach tens of thousands of kilowatt-hours per year, enough to power phone charging stations, LED lighting, or interactive displays that make energy consumption visible. Though this represents only a small fraction of a mall’s total energy use, the true value lies in its symbolic power: every visitor becomes an active participant in sustainability, contributing energy simply by walking through the space.
Why architects and developers should take notice
Integrating kinetic floors isn’t just a technical feature; it’s a storytelling tool. For architects, it adds a visible layer of engagement to a building’s sustainability narrative. For developers, it strengthens ESG commitments and enhances the mall’s public image as a forward-thinking, environmentally conscious smart building. Kinetic floors can:
- Turn public areas into interactive sustainability zones.
- Generate real-time data for energy dashboards and reports.
- Encourage visitor engagement through physical participation.
- Reinforce brand credibility around innovation and green design.
As the retail landscape evolves, consumers increasingly expect spaces that reflect their values. Energy Floors offers a way to meet that expectation, not with slogans, but through experience.
The future of retail, powered by people
Green Pea Mall in Turin proves that sustainability can be both functional and inspiring. Its success points toward a future where shopping centres worldwide can use design, technology, and human energy to make a statement about what progress looks like. Every day, millions of people walk through malls. Every one of those steps holds the potential to power change. Take the next step: explore how Energy Floors can transform your mall into a space where visitors actively engage with sustainability and make every footstep count. Reach out to us today to learn how we can bring this innovative solution to your project.
