17 December 2012

Bicyclists power an outdoor concert

This happened in Madison, Wisconsin about two years ago:
Q: At the Ride the Drive event last Sunday in Madison, the music stage on the Capitol Square at the top of East Washington Avenue was powered by people riding stationary bikes. How did that work?

A: The electricity needed to power the stage lights and sound system for the four-hour concert was provided entirely by people pedaling 12 bikes, said Dan O'Brien, a co-owner of Power by the People, the Waukesha company that provided the system. The bikes were hooked up to generators.

"There was no connection to any outside electricity," he said. "It was all humans."
A few more details at the Wisconsin State Journal.

1 comment:

  1. I wonder what the electrical needs were for this four hour show. I read the article and did not see it, or a reference to how many people were involved in the event overall (ie how 'large' the show was).

    Love the idea. I think it is doable. I want to find a way to make money from this in remote Switzerland. ;)

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