An elderly community in Beijing’s suburbs has become an unlikely leader in green technology – turning to pedal power to generate electricity for the area’s poorest households. China’s officials have rolled out 3.4 million square metres of outdoor gym equipment since 1998
But in Donggaodi in south-western Beijing, six outdoor public exercise bikes not only provide fitness but also provide a viable source of renewable energy. Each bike is connected to a battery unit which can store enough energy to power a television set for up to ten hours. Battery packs are simply extracted and carried into a resident’s home, where they can be connected to household appliances via an integrated power outlet.
China plans to expand renewable energy capacity and reduce its reliance on cheap but polluting coal for over two-thirds of its energy needs.The government recently earmarked 350 billion Yuan (A$72 billion Australian) to be invested in environmental projects throughout the next two years.
– from bigpondnews. 8 Jan 2009