مقاله انگلیسی رایگان در مورد نسل جدید برق تولید شده به عنوان یک منبع تجدید پذیر – اسپرینگر 2018

The development of pre-industrial civilization was powered by metabolic energy of humans and animals. Over time, advancements in technology and engineering have moved us away from human’s endosomatic1 (metabolic) power to become almost entirely dependent on fossil fuels. Growing populations, increasing quality of life, and diminishing resources have put significant stress upon the energy sector to meet increasing demand for fossil fuels, whereas environmental concerns, most notably climate change, have prompted decreasing usage. In 2016, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) implemented the Clean Power Plan, issuing carbon dioxide emission goals and encouraging the use of clean energy resources. Many states have also developed renewable portfolio standards (RPS) to promote the adoption of renewable electricity generation, energy efficiency, and other clean energy technologies, for example carbon capture and storage. The state of South Carolina has recently passed the House Bill 1189, which requires 2% of electricity generation from renewable energy resources by 2021 ((2013–2014) Bill 1189 Text of Previous Version 2014). One potential resource that is not included in the bill is human-powered electricity. It seems reasonable to explore this resource since, historically, the majority of our existence has been sustained from metabolic energy. This study first discusses the transition of energy flows throughout society before assessing the feasibility of human-generated electricity as a means of meeting a RPS with a case study of a gym in Greer, South Carolina.