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Executive Summary
The research project, Using Fitness Equipment to Harvest Human Kinetic Energy at the Dalplex
explored the potential to offset fossil fuel energy dependency in the Dalplex. This was done through
determining how much human energy members produced while exercising in the cardio room.
Dependency on non-renewable energy is an issue that is going to need to be addressed at Dalhousie in
the near future as the university grows and fossil fuels become more expensive and less available.
To determine the viability of producing a substantial amount of energy by using the cardio room,
our research group used non-probabilistic purposive sampling within the Dalplex cardio room for a time
span of 1.5 hours on Sunday, March 23 and surveyed 14 people and recorded their calories burned, the
duration of their work out, and the type of machine they used. Our limitations and delimitations are
included in the report. However our findings determined that based on the total annual Dalplex energy
consumption and our study, human kinetic energy could offset 1% of the yearly energy required at the
Dalplex. This is a total savings of $4, 737.70 annually. Although this may seem small it is important to
remember that our results are being compared to the energy consumption of the entire Dalplex facility. As
well, the yearly savings could potentially be put back into retrofitting more machines around the building
that can also harness human energy.
Being a sustainable campus requires the cooperation and participation of not only the university
community, but also that of the wider community. The Dalplex is a community hub where students and
Haligonians come to exercise, play, and compete. By using human energy to offset electricity people will
become more aware of the potential and future possibilities of alternative energies and a sustainable
future for our school and community.
Introduction
Energy is in such large demand throughout the world and is currently being harvested in
extremely harmful ways, impacting the planet. This energy production is coming from sources of non-
renewable resources like fossil fuels and coal. These non-renewable sources are also seen to be used in
our backyard, as Nova Scotia uses coal to power homes and Dalhousie University. Due to its large
student body for an Atlantic school, Dalhousie requires large amounts of energy in order to successfully
operate its residences, labs, classrooms and athletic facilities. The current energy costs each year for the
school total at $14 million (Dalhousie University Appendix, 2010). However with this being said, energy
demand will continue to rise, forcing prices to increase, along with the expansions that the school wants
to make. This will add $9 million (Dalhousie University Appendix, 2010) to the already growing costs.
The Dalplex is home to a range of athletic facilities including the university pool, basketball and
volleyball courts, a track and a cardio room. Many people come through the doors each day to work out,
but the area that is seen to be in constant use is the cardio room. The workout culture is becoming larger
each year with increased use seen in this room, which introduces the possibility to make a sustainable
change in energy consumption. This encourages the energy harnessing of human kinetic power, which
could be very beneficial due to the increasing number of people working out.
Gyms are trying to be more sustainable, and one way to do this is to harness the kinetic energy
that is being used. This human power can be converted from mechanical to electrical power by using
pedaling bikes, stair climbers and running on a treadmill. Though with this being said, the more people
that use these machines to work out, the more energy can be harnessed and used. The power can be
either sent back into the grid or used to power the Dalplex lights or other energy demanding devices. A
person with average athletic ability has been seen to be able to produce about 100-1500 watts of energy,
which can charge a battery of 50mA current and power a small electronic device, like an Iphone (Yildiz
and Fahmy, 2009). In order to make the Dalplex even more sustainable they have begun to use
treadmills that require no electricity. This is a great idea, for they are entirely human powered.