Gym Workouts Generate Electricity

Gym Workouts Generate Electricity

Gym attendance by the average person wastes energy in  multiple ways. Fuel is required to drive to the gym, and the gym machines  sometimes require electricity. Imagine if you could go to a gym where much  of the fuel and electricity usage mentioned above could be offset while  exercising on the machines.

In  Bristol, you can do that at the Cadbury House Gym in Congresbury. To make that  possible, the gym recently spent £600,000 on 42 new pieces of ARTIS  Technogym devices such as cross trainers, bikes, and vario’ machines.

These machines generate electricity to directly power the displays of the gym  machines when people start to run/pedal on them. They supply surplus electricity  generated to the building. So these machines don’t use fossil fuels and then  offset that by supplying clean energy to the grid (not that that is a bad thing)  — they generate their own electricity in the first place.

According to Business Green, each machine generates  about 100 watts of power, which could power an 18″ standing fan at the highest  setting, a full desktop computer system, a large bookshelf stereo system, or a  minimum of two laptop computers.

This energy-efficiency effort doesn’t only consist of the human-powered  generators, but the treadmills consume 30% less energy as well due to the use of  more efficient brushless motors and reduced friction, which, according to Jason  Eaton (the general manager of the gym), is better for the users and the  company.

“This is the very latest in health club technology in terms of design,  sustainability, connectivity and biomechanical excellence,” he added. “On top of  that we’re reducing the level of energy needed to power the club, which is great  for the environment.”

Read more at http://cleantechnica.com/2013/10/04/gym-workouts-generate-electricity-bristol/#7dx977ggTyR7fVcL.99