The new Green Microgym in Portland, Oregon is using human energy to power its electricity needs. It’s a simple enough concept that’s probably hit practically every environmentally minded gym patron at one time or other - with all that energy being expended by people on treadmills, ellipticals, spin bikes etc, why not harnes some to at least power the place? Green Microgym owner Adam Boesel did just that, hooking up weed whacker motors and truck alternators onto spin bikes to help power the 2800 square foot space at his facility.
The spin bikes can generate about 75 Watts per hour with Boesel’s rigged system, which amounts to about 25% of the gym’s energy needs. Next up on Boesel’s list is finding a way to generate from the elliptical machines with the eventual goal being to power the entire gym off of human energy. Green Microgym is the first in the country to use human power, but not the first in the world. California Fitness in Hong Kong uses human energy to power light fixtures.
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