University of South Florida

LOCATION
Tampa | FL

FACILITY TYPE
University Recreation Center

ECO-POWR™ PRODUCTS
12

FACILITY SIZE
189,681 sq. ft.
(17,621 sq. m)

POTENTIAL ENERGY PRODUCTION
6,720 KW/year*

Campus Rec Meets Sustainability

The University of South Florida’s Campus Recreation Center boasts 189,681 sq. ft. of workout space, including a 7,732 sq. ft. cardio floor and welcomes more than 300,000 visitors annually. When Director of Recreation and Wellness Jay Souza was looking to upgrade their cardio equipment, he learned SportsArt’s ECO-POWR™ products could not only stand up to frequent use, but would also be eligible to qualify for a grant from the University’s Student Green Energy Fund, which helps support sustainable efforts across campus. Through the fund, USF was able to add twelve SportsArt machines to their cardio floor⏤and achieve Florida state history in the process.

For Overview | DOWNLOAD PDF

RECENT STUDIES SHOW 47 PERCENT OF RECREATION FACILITIES ARE ACCOUNTABLE FOR ANNUAL BUILDING ENERGY. AS ENERGY COSTS CONTINUE TO RISE, INSTALLING CARDIO EQUIPMENT ENGINEERED TO OFFSET CONSUMPTION WAS A NATURAL FIT FOR US TO UNDERTAKE. SPORTSART’S ECO-POWR™ LINE ENABLES US TO ALSO PROVIDE OUR STUDENTS WITH EQUIPMENT THAT IS BOTH EASY TO USE AND OFFERS THE LATEST IN TECHNOLOGY.

Jay Souza | Director of Recreation and Wellness

A Florida First

With the addition of four G690 Verde treadmills, four G886 Verso cross trainers and four G510 indoor cycles, USF became the first university in Florida to install power-generating and energy saving fitness equipment for students. They also added SA Well+™, a digital leaderboard that displays the amount of electricity students generated on ECO-POWR™ equipment in real-time. Now, students can see their workout’s direct impact on offsetting the rec center’s power consumption.

AS I PREPARED PROPOSALS FOR OUR STUDENTS, THEY WERE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXERCISE AND PROVIDE ENERGY BACK TO OUR USAGE. AS ENERGY COSTS CONTINUE TO RISE, THIS EQUIPMENT WAS A NATURAL FIT FOR THE TYPE OF INITIATIVES OUR CAMPUS WANTS TO UNDERTAKE.

Jay Souza | Director of Recreation and Wellness

Beyond The Rec Center

With a positive reception from students, Souza hopes the interest will help further sustainable efforts across USF’s campus. He says, “With the use of this equipment, we also hope to instill a sense of “giving back,” as participants can see what they are generating⏤in terms of energy savings⏤therefore helping our campus community and beyond. This is something that can transcend their time at USF.”