If we can use human power for transportation (e.g., bicycles), what about for electric power generation? Many people have wondered this. When you look at the numbers, it may not make economic sense, and would have very small direct impact on reducing fossil fuel use. For example, an elite cyclist might be able to output about 500 Watts of power continuously (enough to power five 100 W light bulbs). Most of the rest of us could manage only some fraction of that power output (maybe 10%-20% of that). Even at 500 W, and assuming 100% efficiency electricity generation, an elite cyclist could produce only a half kilowatt hour (kWh) of energy per hour, which is worth at most about 10 cents in the U.S.
While the economic incentive is negligible, there are other motivations for human-powered generators that go beyond financial and direct environmental considerations. At the University of Oregon, exercise equipment has been fitted with electric generators. Steve Mital, the University’s sustainability director, explained that while the costs of upgrading the equipment won’t be recouped for 28 years, it does have educational benefit. He goes on to say that “so much of this talk about renewables is fairly abstract. You jump on one of these machines and 30 minutes later you have a deep visceral understanding of what that means.” This effect is definitely valuable, and may have a larger indirect impact on energy consumption. If facilities like this become more universal we will have many more individuals with a deep appreciation for what a kWh really is and how much work is required to produce it. We may not even need to harvest the electricity to get the educational effect: just add sensors and displays to communicate how much energy has been produced. This would cost less than installing working generators (but may not be as satisfying).
What do you think of human-powered generators in gyms (or at rock concerts)? Should we invest in this as an educational campaign?
As you may know, May is National Bike Month, and this week is National Bike to Work Week. If you have been thinking about testing out what it’s like to bike to work, there is no better time than tomorrow: it’s National Bike to Work Day. For helpful tips on pedaling to work, head on over to the League of American Bicyclists, or the Bike Commuters Blog (which currently has a great story about someone who switched to bike commuting after car problems). One of the important take-aways is you don’t need to be in great shape to get started. Just ride at a pace that is comfortable for you, and you might be pleasantly surprised at how far you can ride.
It’s my pleasure to introduce Design Impact’s first guest blogger: Greg Kushmerek. Greg is a colleague of mine at the MathWorks, where we have not only software for super computers, but employees who are ’super commuters’. Greg is an avid cyclist who commutes in by bike year round, and will be sharing his insights into bicycle commuting in a series of posts.
This is a time of transition as we explore options that will help us develop a renewed, sustainable transportation system. It’s my opinion that human-powered transportation should become an important component of such a system. Greg’s insights will help us understand what we can do to move toward greater adoption of cycling and it’s acceptance as a mainstream mode of transportation. This topic clearly is related to sustainability, but is an important design issue as well; better design of cities, policy, and of course bicycles can all help stimulate progress toward a cleaner and healthier way of getting around.
Why don’t more people bike to work?
I’m a regular bike commuter, traveling 30 miles a day (round-trip) most days of the week, most days of the year. I’m clearly an outlier, but only if you consider the distance.
Clearly in the United States I’m just an outlier, period. But in The Netherlands, a country of 16 million people, a lot of people bike. If you’ve been to The Netherlands, then you also know that people pretty much expect to get rained on when they bike (my wife would say “It’s not whether it will rain today, but how many times?”). People bike to work, a few or more miles, and it’s just not a big deal regardless of the weather.
So what’s the big difference between here and there? Some factors to consider:
Infrastructure — The Netherlands has dedicated bike lanes, roads, stop lights, directional signs, and parking spaces all through the country just for bikes.
Money — Gas is more expensive.
Safety — Anyone with a license is trained to be on the lookout for cyclists. Further, by law a car driver is automatically at fault and his/her insurance must pay if a car gets in an accident with a cyclist.
Enforcement — The Police ticket wayard cyclists who violate the rules of the road.
You could argue that the flat terrain makes it easier, but I counter that the heavy winds make up for hills. It’s a different kind of physical challenge, but it’s a physical challenge that people put up with nonetheless.
Consider this: The Netherlands only became a bike-oriented nation in the 60’s. Most of that supporting infrastructure just didn’t exist until the state (they have a centralized system, then again the place is small) decided to commit to it.
Could it happen here? What do you think it would take? What would it take to get you to bike commute?
A couple weeks ago I mentioned that May is National Bike Month. It turns out that May is also National EcoDriving Month, at least according to the EcoDriving Program of the Auto Alliance. Driving habits can have tremendous impact on fuel efficiency. Did you hear about the expert hypermilers who drove a stock Ford Fusion Hybrid almost 1500 miles on a single tank of gasoline late last month? You can check out more tips on squeezing the most out of your gasoline on Ecomodder. I especially like the advise they give that has nothing to do with how you drive a car, but on what you can do instead of driving (walk, ride a bike, drive fewer miles). These are all great ideas, but we would be hard pressed to see big gains through better driving habits without the right incentives. Economic incentives would magnify the impact of EcoDriving. Hypermiling became popular last summer when gasoline broke the $4/gallon threshold, but how many EcoDrivers do we have now with $2/gallon fuel? Stable, moderately high fuel prices would not only motivate better driving habits, but reduce total miles driven (by petroleum fueled vehicles), create a market for more efficient vehicles, and provide the impetus for more Americans to consider cycling as a viable transportation option. We would probably even see a lot more creative activity in creating bicycle designs that make cycling practical for more people in more situations; for example, accommodating cargo and passengers, providing weather protection, and utilizing electric assist when human power alone is not sufficient. For a good example of this, have a look at the new FedEx delivery vehicles in Paris.
Electric-assist delivery bicycles used by FedEx in Paris
May is already National Bike and EcoDriving month, perhaps we should just declare it National Sustainable Transportation month! We could promote sustainable transportation on many fronts: driving habits (hypermiling), vehicle choice (appropriate size vehicles, bicycles), vehicle design (electric/hybrid electric vehicles, practical bicycles), infrastructure design (advanced/adaptive traffic light timing, roundabouts), and transportation policy. In fact, the time between now and this fall is a great opportunity to get politically active and have an important influence on transportation reform. This fall several federal transportation programs are up for reauthorization by Congress. Let’s ensure our representatives understand that we do not support continuing the transportation system status quo. Reforms need to come sooner than later to provide a foundation for a vibrant economy and healthy ecosystems that provide invaluable services to humanity. Changes are being debated right now. If you want to make a big difference, more than switching to CFLs or buying a plug-in hybrid for yourself, please consider learning about these proposed changes and voice your support for a renewed transportation system that can serve our society sustainably.
That leaves you only a few precious days to get you bike tuned up and ready to go for Friday! Check out bikcommuters.com for tips on getting around on your bike, including recent posts on long commutes, dispelling myths about bicycle commuting, and a review of the book ‘The Practical Cyclist ‘, which addresses how to help make cycling a practical means of transportation for more people. Or, have a look at the League of American Bicyclists website for more information about National Bike Month. So what does this all have to do with design?
First, bicycles are fabulously frugal with energy. Some estimate that an average car uses 50 times more energy per passenger mile than a bicycle (and the cyclist benefits by serving as an energy source). I consider this a great sustainable design.
Second, there is a grand opportunity to develop bicycle designs that are more practical for a variety of uses. Have a look at the Bicycle Design blog for some innovative cycling alternatives, and look here to read about a comptetition for developing practical bicycle designs for the masses.
Third, for human-powered transportation to expand in the U.S. and have meaningful impact on energy consumption (and public health), we need to design transportation policies that place cycling as a priority and stimulate demand for cycling. Not only do we need better laws to protect cyclists, but we need to move toward communities that embrace cycling as a mainstream transportation alternative and provide infrastructure that supports cycling. We all would benefit from a shift from car-centric communities to bicycle and people-centric communities. We can look to places like the Netherlands for inspiration, where cycling is not just mainstream, but irresistible, and the ‘needs of cyclists are taken into account in all stages of urban planning’.
What do you think about cycling as a viable mode of transportation? Would you consider trying it out for National Bike Month?
