Nightclub in Glasgow will harness energy from dancers

The annual COP26 climate conference will take place in Glasgow this year, starting October 31st. This means that, over the next few months, we can expect the Scottish city to kick off a number of creative environmental initiatives as the spotlight shines on the city.

One recently unveiled initiative involves the legendary Glasgow club SWG3, which will be trialing an innovative scheme that aims to generate energy from its dance floor — all in a bid to power the venue more sustainably.

Dubbed BODYHEAT, the system harnesses the energy created by staff and revelers inside the venue and then converts it into an energy source for heating and cooling outlets. The scheme is part of the UN-backed summit and is being piloted as the world’s first.

“BODYHEAT uses heat pumps and fluids to capture the incredible amounts of body heat generated by SWG3’s crowds, channeling their combined energy into twelve 150m-deep boreholes drilled beneath the venue,” reads a statement on the club’s website.

The body heat that’s harnessed can then be converted into energy to keep the lights on and the music playing all night long. The heat can also be stored for months until needed. Based on previous annual attendance figures, SWG3 estimates that the project will enable it to save 70 tonnes of carbon emissions per year.