Whether it’s at home on your couch or in the office at your desk, we’ve all read about the negative health consequences of sitting for too long. But have you ever considered the amount of kinetic energy you’re wasting by staying still? Andy Wekin and Steve Blood from the startup Pedal Power in Essex, N.Y., have dreamed up a way to harness that wasted energy and transform it into power that can charge your computer or phone — or even split logs and mill grain, if you’re into that type of thing.
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The duo has developed two products: the $2,000 Big Rig, which includes an ergonomic seat, work surface, and outlets to re-energize your devices. Think of it as a stationary bike and desk in one. They’ve also created the Pedal Genny, a $350 portable machine that can be used to pump water, sow grain or generate power in remote areas. Both inventions are open source designs, meaning the plans will be available to individuals who want to build the machines on their own.
It may seem like a radical idea, but as Wekin and Blood have pointed out, their innovation isn’t just about selling bikes. It’s about making people consider their relationship with energy. “I want to connect people to the energy they use,” Blood says. “I want people to understand how precious energy is, and how hard it is to come by.”
Tag: energy
You Won’t Believe How Much These Smart Streetlights Could Save Us
A sprawling expanse of illuminated city blocks is beautiful to behold. It’s also incredibly wasteful. Dutch mechanical engineer Chintan Shah discovered that keeping the lights on at night in Europe cost the continent more than 10 billion Euros each year and accounted for more than 40% of the government’s energy use. It also created 40 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions, giving a whole new meaning to the term “light pollution.”
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Shah’s company, Tvilight, created a motion sensor for streetlights that dims the light when people aren’t around and restores it to full brightness when triggered by human (or animal) movement. Shah’s sensors can also be adjusted to their location. For uncommonly used places like empty parking lots, the streetlights can be dimmed up to 70% when they’re not needed. For well-trafficked roadways and neighborhood streets, streetlamps may be dimmed only 30% to 40%, in order to keep areas secure. Tvilight’s sensors have already been installed throughout entire municipalities in Ireland and Holland, saving those countries up to 60% on energy costs. Now, Shah and his group are in talks with officials in Germany, Canada and in the U.S. — in Los Angeles. In other words, Shah’s bright idea is taking off.
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This Desk Brings Good Health to You and to the Planet
Most Americans don’t get enough exercise. We also use quite a bit of energy to power our gadgets. This amazing desk targets both issues at once. The desk, which is equipped with an outlet, is attached to a stationary bike. You can pedal while you work, and as you do, the energy from your effort powers the outlet. It’s good for the environment and good for your health. Whether or not you’re productive in your job function, this desk makes sure you will at least get in your daily exercise and produce some energy at work!