A Taiwanese research team on Friday introduced a thermal electricity generation technology that converts the heat used when frying chicken into 'green' electricity. Lee Jinn-shing, a research fellow at the Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, said that the project uses a waste heat energy renewal system to harvest 20 percent of the thermoelectricity generated by cooking oil. The energy can then be used to power lights, radios, electric fans or electronic signage. The system also lowers the temperature around the fryer to about 94 degrees Celsius -- compared to oil temperatures of about 380 degrees -- which could be a boon to fried chicken stall operators who often work for more than 10 hours a day under high temperature conditions. After being put into mass production, the systems would cost only NT$10,000 each and could generate a total of NT$200 million in production value if widely used in the industry. Meanwhile, the institute also unveiled a 270 cc beach buggy based on a similar concept that can save as much as 8 percent in fuel costs. Lin Guang-yuan, a research team member, said that the beach buggy costs about NT$500,000 and can travel at speeds up to 120 kilometers per hour. It is scheduled to be showcased at the 2010 Taipei International Invention Show & Technomart from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3. 