This post might be a little off-topic–but it’s fun, and it does have something to do with dance.

An article from the German news source Spiegel Online featured an invention that cuts energy costs and reduces consumption through the power of dance.

On September 2, Club Watt in Rotterdam, Holland will start up its new Sustainable Dance Floor during a performance by Iggy Pop. On that night, Club Watt will become the world’s first Sustainable Dance Club.

Collecting Dance Power

Sustainability lab Enviu manufactures the flooring, which harnesses the energy of moving dancers. The flooring “gives” by about 1 cm, flexing slightly with the movement of dancers. The floor’s movement isn’t enough to knock dancers off balance, but it is enough to generate power. The flooring can produce 5 to 10 watts of electricity per dancer. You can watch a video of the floor at SDC’s website.

The company Sustainable Dance Club (SDC) is actually the name Enviu’s subsidiary, and this company markets the floors. SDC places strict requirements on venues that want to earn the title “Sustainable Dance Club.” A “Sustainable Dance Club” can’t just install the new flooring–the club must also cut energy consumption and waste in several other ways.

An Endless Energy Source

Gadget-makers and energy-suppliers alike have released several other tools that turn movement into usable power. The dance-powered cell phone charger, from companies Orange and GotWind, is just one example of

these eco-friendly movement-dependent devices. And more inventions are in the works.

To reduce pollution and produce clean energy, the world’s engineers now look to constant and renewable sources of power, like the sun and wind.

With dance-powered inventions, I’d say that the engineers are on the right path. I don’t know of many human activities that are more reliable and constant than the need to dance.