"Green Machines" at the University of Kentucky

VO: Hundreds of students, staff and faculty hop onto the exercise machines at the University of Kentucky's Johnson Fitness Center every day. 

Ron Lee: We have always thought if there was a way to harness all this energy and make it in to electricity where we utilize it would be great! 

VO: So when they learned at a recent convention that Florida stardom company Rerev.com could do just that.  He took action and now what seemed like an unlikely idea is becoming a reality on these green machines which are really Precor elliptical machines wired to do more than burn calories.

Ron Lee: Something we found out at a directors sum of SEC campus recreation directors, University of Florida was the only school that had it prior to us. Inside the Precor there is a generator so that they are not hooked to electricity so you make your own energy with the Precor that what operates the lift and gives you resistance and everything.  What this does has done is tap into the generator so it's taken the electricity, the extra energy which actually is not being pulled off it creates heat which causes the room to heat up anyways so it helps in that aspect also. But it takes that energy puts it into the converter which converts it to electricity and back into the building as electricity that will not be drawn from the utility companies. 

VO: ...a process students are not only noticing but appreciating. 

Ron Lee: Our students I think are very keyed in to sustainability. 

VO: The world is not going to last forever, you have to help make it last longer than it should be or can be. 

VO: But these machines aren't just helping the environment. 

Ron Lee: It saves the environment because it is less electricity being used.  It is a cost saving because it is less electricity we have to pay for. And actually a third benefit is a health benefit of the students, faculty and staff that are exercising on the Precor. 

VO: Lee believes it is an initiative of what illustrates what higher education is all about. 

Ron Lee: When this came up the first thing I thought about was one of Dr. Todd's talks about technology leading the way not only for the economics but for the sustainability issues and I thought this was a perfect example of taking technology  and applying it in a positive and useful manner.  So I am thrilled with it.

VO: ...a simple process that could one day have a huge impact. 

Ron Lee: I think we are on the front of end of something that is going to be bid down the line. 


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