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Powering a house with bicycles - BBC program

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I just watched the show. It's pretty cool, I wish Discovery Channel would show something like that here in the States. The show got few technical details dumbed down, but the main point is brilliantly presented. I wish they showed their electrical setup in detail.

Thanks for recording.
 
There is more information here: BBC/OU Open2.net - Bang Goes The Theory - Human Power Station Special


I just watched it myself. Yes it makes the point brilliantly (only one subtle confusion of kW and kWh that I spotted). Certainly it puts those "each of us has the equivalent of X slaves to support our modern lifestyle" statements into perspective.

The only negative was that it gives the impression that high power appliances like the shower and oven are bad, full stop. At least the advantage they have over their gas burning equivalents is they can be powered from renewable sources. I can see people taking away the message from this programme that the electric versions are worse.
 
I looked at pictures of their electrical setup. Some things are a bit unclear. I can see Morningstar PWM charge controllers, power inverters, what looks like lithium-phosphate battery banks. I cannot figure out what those aluminum looking boxes were above charge controllers and why they had a bunch of wires going into the hole in the wall, which were connected to their main DC rails feeding power inverters. I suspect hidden extra batteries. Also, I think bicyclists took a break after the family left for a walk. I doubt they spun 12 hours non-stop. Also, because they coupled generators to the rubber wheels of bicycles, the mechanical efficiency must have been poor. The "power outage" at the end of the show looked staged. The cyclists did not look concerned about low voltage, and were not desperately trying their hardest at that time. I think those unknown aluminum boxes were battery chargers, possibly being turned on either to help out the cyclists or to take over to allow cyclists to rest. Anyways, I had fun watching the show.