Your Muscles Can Help Power a Building

Verde treadmills. Image courtesy of SportsArt

Building owners and managers are embracing sustainability more than ever by striving to reduce their facilities’ carbon footprint. Thanks to an innovative collection of gym equipment from green fitness brand SportsArt, apartment residents and office workers can help out by contributing their own horsepower to a building’s energy requirements.

The Eco-Powr line of products convert human exertion into utility-grade electricity, capturing up to 74 percent of the energy being produced through walking, running, jogging or sled-pushing. Products include a treadmill, cross trainer, elliptical, upright cycle, recumbent cycle and indoor cycle.

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The non-motorized G690 Verde treadmill features extremely low friction and a flat-slat belt. A hybrid electromagnetic and mechanical braking system enables the treadmill to generate up to 200 watts per hour per machine during a workout. The device uses a patented micro-inverter, similar to those found in wind turbines and solar panels, to convert direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) power, which can then be consumed by other devices on the building’s electrical grid.

Eco-Powr products are plugged in to a standard AC outlet. When first switched on, the devices draw a small amount of electricity like standard appliances. Operating the machines generates energy which then flows back into the grid, changing the flow of electricity.

The products integrate with SA WELL, a software kit that provides energy production tracking, machine usage stats, and device error management. The software works in conjunction with an Android and iOS app.