Angel Susantin (Week 3) - Human Energy → Usable Power

Human Energy → Usable Power

by Angel Susantin

woman running

How much power does the United States use per year?

    According to the University of Michigan Center of Sustainable Systems: "Each day, U.S. per capita energy consumption includes 2.3 gallons of oil, 7.89 pounds of coal, and 252 cubic feet of natural gas. Residential daily consumption of electricity is 12.1 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per person. In 2020, total U.S. energy consumption decreased 7.3% from 2019 peak levels." 

    Over the years, there has been a slow influx of renewable sources such as hydropower, wind, and solar power. However, the majority of energy generated in the United States is derived from natural gases, coal, and nuclear energy—some nonrenewable resources that are harmful to the earth's atmosphere. Aside from the renewable sources already stated, perhaps there is an answer to our nonrenewable issue right in front of our eyes. 

    In a report submitted to a Stanford University Introduction to Physics of Energy class in 2014, student Lo'eau LeBonta discusses the concept of converting human energy into usable electricity. As a preliminary necessity to understanding more, she introduces the first law of thermodynamics, which simply states that "energy can neither be created nor destroyed." In this way, energy can only be converted from one to another. An example of this is humans is metabolism, where we turn the food and drinks we consume into energy that we later expend. We utilize a majority of this energy on things such as flexing your muscles or pumping the heart, but there is also a lot of energy that is wasted, primarily as heat energy. So what if we could convert this “wasted” heat energy into usable electricity? 

    This idea has actually been put in practice by scientists over the years: Swedish engineers placed heat exchanges to convert commuter body heat into hot water in Stockholm Central Station. This hot water is then piped into an office building next door. At the University of Wisconsin, engineers “created a shoe that utilizes reverse electrowetting to produce as much as a kilowatt of energy, just by simply taking a walk.”

    Human heat energy is difficult to harvest on a local, wearable scale as opposed to a grand scale like the ingenuity displayed in the Stockholm Central Station; the idea of human batteries may seem like a pipe dream. It is, however, becoming more and more likely that human energy will be used to power future technological advances. In the event that household batteries are taken out of the equation, we could have wearable computers, worn around the wrist, embedded into shoes, or even woven into clothes. 

    So what do you guys think of this idea? Your initial thoughts? Do you think that it is possible to live a society where a majority of the power is generated by humans alone?

https://css.umich.edu/factsheets/us-energy-system-factsheet#:~:text=Each%20day%2C%20U.S.%20per%20capita,cubic%20feet%20of%20natural%20gas.&text=Residential%20daily%20consumption%20of%20electricity,hours%20(kWh)%20per%20person.&text=In%202020%2C%20total%20U.S.%20energy,7.3%25%20from%202019%20peak%20levels.

http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2014/ph240/labonta1/#:~:text=Theory,can%20output%20over%202%2C000%20watts.

Image: https://dribbble.com/shots/6652824-Running?utm_source=Pinterest_Shot&utm_campaign=justinnnnn&utm_content=Running&utm_medium=Social_Share