Greenhouse gas emissions are one of the most damaging human-caused threats to the environment. Over the last 150 years, the greenhouse gas emissions we create have been steadily increasing, resulting in a seriously detrimental effect on the environment. The increased levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have caused a 30% increase in warming, which has a profound impact on the ecosystem.
In order to manage their impact on the environment, many individuals and companies are attempting to minimize their greenhouse gas production by calculating and lowering their carbon footprint. A carbon footprint is the total amount of GHG emissions created by an individual, company, or device, and takes into account a wide variety of factors.
One of the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions and the primary factor in the carbon footprint size of most companies is power consumption. Each kilowatt hour of energy produced in the United States generates an average 1.2 pounds of carbon dioxide released at the power plant. Coal releases the most carbon dioxide, at 2.2 pounds per kilowatt hour, and natural gas releases the least, at 0.9 pounds.
Regardless of the source of energy, power consumption has a significant impact on the carbon footprint of a company. Many companies are turning to solutions such as solar panels in an attempt to minimize their carbon footprint, but these solutions are not always ideal and are dependent on structural and environmental parameters.
A new carbon footprint minimizing solution from exercise equipment manufacturer SportsArt is providing businesses and individuals with the ability to minimize their carbon footprint using human power. The SportsArt ECO-POWR range is an innovative sustaiability solution that takes the energy generated during in an intensive cardio workout and uses it to minimize carbon footprints.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the SportsArt ECO-POWR solution and find out how it works to help you determine whether it can help you minimize your carbon footprint.
What is ECO-POWR?
ECO-POWR is a highly innovative new sustainability that focuses on leveraging the massive amount of power generated by cardio fitness equipment such as elliptical trainers and exercise cycles and feeds it back into the power grid. In a similar fashion to wind turbines or solar panels, the SportsArt ECO-POWR solution is able to convert kinetic energy into power, resulting in a net reduction in carbon footprint size.
The SportsArt ECO-POWR solutions is specifically designed for the fitness industry, where gyms typically contain large cardio mills that generate a massive amount of unused power. As the SportsArt ECO-POWR range is designed for the fitness industry, it provides solutions for all of the fitness equipment that is commonly used for cardio training, with similar features and benefits.
In addition to minimizing carbon footprint size, the SportsArt ECO-POWR solution also dramatically lowers operational costs by reducing power consumption from the grid, which translates into direct financial savings.
How SportsArt ECO-POWR Works
The SportsArt ECO-POWR range of exercise equipment incorporates a unique dynamo solution that is built into each piece of equipment. Each bike, elliptical, or treadmill contains a shroud that houses a micro-inverter that requires no extra cords or boxes.
Using the SportsArt ECO-POWR range is as simple as plugging the device into the wall, which then feeds the excess energy back into the power grid directly. Each workout performed on SportsArt ECO-POWR equipment can generate a massive 160 watts of energy, with a 74% energy conversion efficiency rate. Multiplied by all of the machines in an entire gym over a single day, the SportsArt ECO-POWR solution is able to generate a massive amount of power.
The SportsArt ECO-POWR Range
The ECO-POWR range consists of cycles, ellipticals, and treadmills. The cycles offered by SportsArt ECO-POWR include two recumbent cycles, two upright cycles, and an indoor spin cycles. All five of the cycle solutions offered by SportsArt ECO-POWR boast an LED screen console, headphone jack, USB charger, 3-speed fan, and comprehensive tracking and training programs.
The SportsArt ECO-POWR elliptical range consists of two different elliptical cross trainers, both of which offer a similar LED console to the cycle range. The SportsArt ECO-POWR ellipticals offer adjustable stride length, a MyFlex Plus pedal cushioning system, a Cardio Advisor, and both contact and wireless heart rate sensors.
SportsArt will also offer a selection of treadmills that incorporate the SportsArt ECO-POWR Integrated Inverter. The SportsArt ECO-POWR treadmill range is currently under development, but is set to release before Q4 2017.
ECO-POWR Verdict
ECO-POWR is the only sustainability solution that is able to harness the massive amount of energy generated on a daily basis by the fitness industry, and is able to decrease operational costs while lowering carbon footprint size. If you’re looking for a way to minimize the ecological footprint of your gym, SportsArt ECO-POWR offers the ideal solution.
