Innovation

In 1997-98, being a tinker at heart, Bill Genosa replaced the roller mechanism on a bicycle stand with a generator. Now, just by pedaling, human power can create electricity. The electricity can be stored and used later. Bill says,"All I have done in inventing the Pedal-A-Watt is combine what I love in keeping fit riding bikes with a simple generator."

Here is how the Pedal-A-Watt Works:

Pedaling on the Pedal-A-Watt stand creates electricity, measured in watts that the meter on the handlebar displays. Pedal slowly and you may create only 40 watts of power per hour, but pedal very quickly and you may create up to 200 "watt-hours." A 40-inch LCD TV consumes 200 watt-hours (200 watts for 1 hour). So you would need to pedal quickly for 2 hours to watch 1 hour of TV.

Inspiration

Bill's inspiration started with his upbringing. His father was very diligent about conserving utilities; this was in the 1970's in the US where there were several nationwide energy shortages. Being an athlete all his life and living in the northeast where weather can be cold and icy, Bill used an indoor stationary bike. He knew that the roller mechanism is basically a brake, so it provides resistance. He felt there must be a way to capture this energy and use it for something else. He replaced the roller mechanism with a generator and the Pedal-A-Watt was created. Bill sums up his philosophy this way: "Children and college level students are the innovators, movers, and shakers of the future. Getting them to think about alternative forms of energy early on is very important."

Overall impact

Even though the the Pedal-A-Watt is used to power home and portable electrical devices, it is primarily used as a teaching tool for young children and students, which is what drives Bill. Schools and colleges purchase the Pedal-A-Watt to educate their students about electricity and math. Bill says, "Americans are woefully uneducated about science and electricity, and we need to teach our kids to turn off the lights. The cheapest watt to create is the one you don't use in the first place."

Business benefit

Since 1998, Bill has sold his Pedal-A-Watt globally. His business has steadily grown over the last 18 years and now he sells other sustainable products. The Pedal-A-Watt has been demonstrated at different events around the world. In America at Super Bowl XLII, it created enough energy to power 30 minutes of the pre-game show. A concert in Rome was completely powered by 128 bicyclers using his bike stand. In Frankfurt, during the introduction of the Element Motel brand in Europe, people pedaled for donations to UNICEF. Currently his successful venture has allowed him to focus on teaching children about clean energy and sustainability, versus the day to day business activities.

Social and environmental benefit

Please picture in your mind a beautiful baby in a crib looking into your eyes and saying:

As a human being I need many things. I need lots of love. I need nutritious and varied food on a regular basis. I need a stimulating environment where my mind will stretch and grow so that it is able to contend with an increasingly complex world. I need clean water that will help me grow rather than damage my body. I need fresh air that will allow me to run and play and strengthen my lungs. Polluted air from cars, trucks, factories and electrical generation plants are not good for me or for the deer and birds I love to watch. I also like clean air because I love looking at the stars at night before I go to bed and I notice that in places with less pollution the stars are much brighter and clearer.

I also need energy in many forms including electricity. I have never seen a coal fired electrical power plant, but I have seen a solar panel, a wind generator, and a pedal powered generator. I have noticed that these clean producers of power don’t smell bad, are usually quiet, and provide electricity without poisoning the air, the water, or the soil. I hope we have more sources of clean power in the future and I hope we find new clean technologies and new ways to use our current clean technologies. Thank you for listening, your support, and for clean breathing.

Interview

Bill Genosa, Inventer and President