Mass Weight Battery and good health ;-)

[IceStorm]

With a solar panel you need sun, with a weight bank you need 10 minutes of muscle power....

A solar panel is exposed, a weight can be in the cellar...

Anyway..just thinking out loud.

Sun or muscle, you will not get up at 3AM because your out of power. If you really want to use your muscle, than Cloxxki's idea is the way to go, buy the best generator money can buy and go pedaling all day long, the time you will spend will cost ALOT more than what you save on your electric bill and don't forget the loss because you cant work at the same time. 1KW/h equal 1 KW CONSTANT for 1 hour. Alot of pedaling lol and 1KW is not the average of what a house use better to work and pay your bill.

Best Regards,
IceStorm

[Teutates]

I guess I should read more before posting.... just posted a very similar idea (will see if I can delete).  I actually believe this idea is great for current solar and wind power energy storage...  One of the biggest drawbacks of solar and wind power is its inability/unavailability of "green" power storage the other is how to store any access energy developed?  The amout of money you can get from selling your excess energy back to the grid is less then how much the grid charges for the same energy to need to buy back the next night or evening.  Not to mention the treadmill rewinding is heathy as well!....   hmmm  maybe I should start a 'green' gym...  and put generaters in all the equipment... in an area that has allows residential living above the gym   !

[CompuTutor]

The only "Weight" worth lifting is liquid.

Second is dry weight
moved and recovered
by using hydraulic's,
again ... a liquid ...

Using the excess energy to run a tiny pump
to pump water (as example) to a raised tank
is not wasted energy.

Not capturing the excess energy is.

And unless your in an area that is pro-green
and makes the utilities buy it back at retail rates
you basicly loose on the other deal for sure.

A positive displacement water mechanism,
to a motor that double as as a generator
still charges the first battery bank,
while you use the second bank.

Whats the harm?

A cheap water tank,
an old water meter,
and a nice slot car motor
with ubber-neo magnets.

Cheap, simple, done.

I vote that all storage ideas
no matter how ridiculous
(Or geek/redneck)
are worth a second look.

But the idea of a pump
on a stationary bicycle,
is so
"Hampster's in a Hampster Wheel".

So,
do you think a hampster's wheel
connected to a ....