Exercise Machines Power Up Homes
PowerUp, Inc. makes fitness machines, but it is also revolutionizing the energy industry. Burned by companies like Enron, Left Coasters are riding their new machines like bunnies in heat.
by George Wolfe
VAN NUYS, Ca. — PowerUp, Inc. wants to save you energy by expending your energy.
The motto of founder Bindi Skittles hangs above the entry door of their corporate headquarters here in Southern California: "F* Enron! Empower Yourself!!"
"I just thought: If only there were a way to convert all this wasted energy to run even a single lightbulb in my apartment!"
— Bindi Skittles, PowerUp founder
The company's new firness machines put them in the business of energy conversion -- not unlike how hybrid cars operate on our nation's roadways. The fitness machine sends the energy created by bicycle peddling or treadmill walking to a generator. If the person uses the machine at their residence, the generator immediately converts power to a Residential Storage Unit that in turn provides electricity to the household. If the exerciser is at one of the franchised PowerUpTm Gyms, they can take a "power chip" home and plug it into their RSU.
Two versions of the new machines exist: The PowerUp WalkerTm ($1,999) and the PowerUp BikerTm ($2,499). The self-assembled kit includes the generator and the RSU.
Bindi got the idea when she was at her neighborhood gym. "It was in those dark days when we were finding out how corrupt Enron had really been. During a workout, I just thought: If only there were a way to convert all this wasted energy to run even a single lightbulb in my apartment -- and bingo, it hit me!"
How much energy can a single person create in one workout? "It all depends, of course, on how much you put out," says Skittles. "It's a perfect karmic device: You get back only as much as you put into it. If you think you can slack off at the morning workout, you're sorely mistaken -- you may not have enough juice to heat your soup for dinner or watch your Desperate Housewives that evening,"
One minute of light jogging yields three minutes of electric toothbrush operation. Five minutes of medium-speed biking will run a computer for a couple hours. Ten minute of heavy jogging will produce enough energy to run a full load of laundry and work the dryer for a good twenty minutes.
"The possibilities of this technology are endless," says Skittles. "Our R&D folks believe that there two prime areas that will be huge in the near future."
"Parents, in particular, have expressed interest in tapping into the relentless energy of their own kids. It's true. Look how much kids squirm and jump and poop all day long without getting tired. If we could tap into all those little buggers, that would be a real breakthrough!"
And the second source? Skittles leans in and whispers discreetly, "Sexual energy!"
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