Kilowatt throwdown: Help Chapman top the Tennessee Tech Eagles

How much power can a Panther power if a Panther put the pedal to the metal of a fitness cycle, treadmill or elliptical machine?

It seems we’ll all find out soon when the Henley Hall Fitness Center at Chapman University goes kilowatt-to-kilowatt against the Eagles of Tennessee Tech in a green gym throwdown. Starting Friday, Feb. 15, and continuing through Friday, March 15, the two universities will compete to see if the fitness fiends at Chapman or Tennessee can churn out the most energy.

At Chapman, the energy output will be monitored by the same equipment installed last fall when the basement gym was refurbished with 14 new machines that capture the kinetic energy generated while users sweat away the calories. That power flows through an inverter, which converts it to electricity and sends it to the grid, significantly offsetting energy consumption.

The winning campus will earn itself another treadmill from SportsArt, the manufacturer of the fitness equipment and sponsor of the contest, says Mackenzie Crigger, Chapman’s energy conservation and sustainability manager.

Faculty and staff are invited to participate, as well as students. Power Pass cards can be obtained from the Office of Residence Life, or the Ecofit app can be downloaded to smart phones and used to log all Henley Hall Fitness Center workouts. In addition to boosting Chapman’s chances, participants will be eligible to win gift certificates from Best Buy and Footlocker.