Alexis GrovesSMAD 210

JMU’s Future is Green

“Faster, faster, almost done,” she thought to herself.Sweat trickled down her face as she watched the clock count down.“Five, four, three…,” her heart raced as her legs slowly let up.“Done! 200 calories burned, 30min 20secs total time, 55 watts accumulated,” she read.“Wait, watts? Watts for what?” she contemplated.

Like most JMU students, Sophomore Felicia Gonzalez routinely goes to UREC for a quick workout to start off her day. However, UREC’s ellipticals provide a little more for the JMU community than just a simple way to burn calories. This year, JMU’s UREC facility installed 11 ellipiticals that help generate electricity for the building while they are being used. “I use the ellipticals every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday but never knew that my workouts helped generate electricity,” said Gonzalez.

According to the manufacturer, ReRev, the ellipticals produce kinetic energy, which is converted into a direct current. This is then sent to a machine in UREC that converts the current into an alternating current — the form of electricity used in buildings.

There is a monitor on each of the 11 ellipticals that adds up the watts of electricity produced from each workout.

ReRev, a “Renewable Energy Revolution,” is a company based in Florida, but supplies its high-tech equipment to gyms, clubs and schools across the country. Statistics show that one-hour on an elliptical produces somewhere between 50 to 100 watt hours of electricity. In other words, this produces enough electricity to use a laptop for about an hour or a hairdryer for 6 minutes.

According to Michael Hyland of ABC’s WHSV3, JMU is the first school in Virginia to use these machines on its campus. Even though most students are still unaware of the ellipticals’ capabilities, those who know think they are positive additions to JMU’s green effort. UREC Member Services Manager Senior Jameson Hall stated, “I had no idea the ellipticals produced electricity. I think it’s a great idea because people are using them anyway, so it’s just like killing two birds with one stone.”

The JMU Institute for Stewardship of the Natural World is happy with the environmental and monetary changes the ellipiticals have initiated. According to the Executive Director, Christie-Joy Brodrick, these new ellipticals save UREC money because they replace energy that would have otherwise been purchased.

JMU’s goal for the 2009-10 academic year is to accumulate up to 1600 kilowatt hours of electricity.