The Human-Powered Home

By Tamara Dean

Ever since the Industrial Revolution, developed nations have turned their backs on the potential available in human-powered devices, choosing instead to refine motorized technologies while their manual counterparts stagnated. Publications such as Mother Earth News and organizations like the Intermediate Technology Development Group renewed interest in self-sufficiency during the first energy crunch in the 1970s, making great strides in several areas; now The Human-Powered Home catalogues the innovations happening all around us as fossil fuel supplies continue to dwindle.

Tamara Dean does an excellent job of providing historical context for the machinery that humans have utilized since antiquity, tracing a path that leads from the (surprisingly late) development of the hand crank, which facilitated the invention of the Archimedes' screw, through the spinning wheel, cotton gin, treadle sewing machine, and on to the bicycle and human-powered electrical generators. Along the way are numerous fascinating case studies, including a look at compulsory human power from slave and prison populations throughout history.

After setting the stage, Dean moves on to a study of the potential contained in the human body and the methods available to capture it. In many cases, the leading edge of human-powered technology can be found at Maya Pedal in San Andres Itzapa, Guatemala, a non-governmental organization which has developed bicimaquinas, or bike-powered machines, to drive blenders, water pumps, macadamia nut shellers, and tool sharpeners. A bike-powered washing machine designed by MIT students is still in the prototype stage.

What is most striking about Chapter 2, Putting Human Power to Work, is the futility and inefficiency of human-powered electrical generation by a single person. A reasonably fit person riding a bike-powered generator can expect to produce, on average, 75 watts of electricity over an extended period of time; not even enough to power a small television.

Fortunately, the mechanically-operated devices offer a much less depressing outlook.

The second half of the book focuses on how to build or procure your own human-powered machines. Extensive, detailed plans are included for eight different implements, from a bike-frame cultivator to a pedal-powered electrical generator. If you're not feeling that ambitious, Dean also profiles commercially-available alternatives at several points along the price spectrum.

The Human-Powered Home is a level-headed book which focuses on informing and entertaining. There is no utopian hyperbole, just useful facts and anecdotes that provide the foundation necessary to take appropriate action. Dean has produced an accessible primer for novices in the area of people power as well as a book that is thorough enough to benefit even experienced tinkerers.

About the Author

Joel Gillespie grew up in Iowa, went to college in Indiana, and is in the process of moving to Illinois. He tries to hide his prejudice against states that don’t begin with I, but, let’s face it, he is naturally suspicious of their intentions. If you have trouble sleeping, give him a call and ask about soybean processing. He writes for and edits Smile Politely. www.smilepolitely.com Joel’s Safe Routes to School article is on page 22. [more...]

Published in Momentum No. 36

This issue focuses on the architecture and planning needed for a cycling life style in an urban environment.

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