Chapter 10. Environment & You

A Question of Scale

Backstory: Have you ever watched the crowds at a soccer game or along a city’s sidewalk during rush hour and wondered if the energy they are expending walking or jumping up and down could be used to generate electricity? If you have, then you are not alone. Tapping into the potential energy of humans has been investigated by many people looking for ways to expand the use of renewable energy for human use. When you think about it, this makes perfect sense. People are constantly moving and producing kinetic energy, whether through exercising or just simply moving around in their daily routines. The real question is, “Would this produce enough energy to be useful?” It would be difficult to include every form of human movement so here we will focus on bicycle peddling. Could an individual on a stationary bike produce enough energy to potentially be a viable source of renewable energy?

Activity: The typical energy generated by a professional cyclist has been measured at as high as 300–400 watts per hour. This, of course, is not sustainable because each individual has a limit on how long he or she can ride. It does, however, give us enough information to calculate if this could be used to address your energy requirements and perhaps lower your electric bill. Use the table below to determine your electrical needs in your house. Most electric appliances have their energy usage marked somewhere on the item or in the owner’s manual. Since some appliances are used only for short periods of time, be sure to note the duration used in the table as well. Some devices may be rated in kilowatts per hour (kWh) and can simply be multiplied by 1000 to get the total watts per hour. If necessary, increase the number of rows to allow for additional appliances or devices. Add up all of your energy needs (in watts) for a single 24-hour day.

Question

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