ChatGPT Transcript Re: Peloton Watts

Some musings and a chat with ChatGPT led to this post

Transcript:

Me: how many watts are produced during an average workout on a stationary bike?
ChatGPT: The number of watts produced during an average workout on a stationary bike can vary greatly depending on factors such as the intensity of the workout and the individual's fitness level. A rough estimate would be around 100-300 watts. However, it's important to note that this is just an estimate and actual wattage will vary.

Me: So if there are over 500 million workouts on a Peloton bike each year, how many kilowatts would be produced by Peloton owners over the course of a year?
ChatGPT: If there are over 500 million workouts on a Peloton bike each year, and we assume an average workout produces 200 watts, then the total number of watts produced by Peloton owners over the course of a year would be: 500,000,000 workouts x 200 watts/workout = 100,000,000,000 watts.

To convert this to kilowatts, we divide by 1000, so the total number of kilowatts produced by Peloton owners over the course of a year would be: 100,000,000,000 watts / 1000 = 100,000,000 kilowatts.

Please note that this is an estimate based on the assumption of 200 watts per workout and the actual number may vary.

Me: Thanks. With those assumptions, what percentage of the US's annual electricity usage could be offset by people working out on their Peloton bikes?
ChatGPT: To determine the percentage of the US's annual electricity usage that could be offset by people working out on their Peloton bikes, we would need to know the total annual electricity usage in the US. According to the US Energy Information Administration, the US consumed about 4,178 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity in 2020.

With the assumption of 100,000,000 kilowatts produced by Peloton owners over the course of a year, we can calculate the percentage of the US's annual electricity usage offset by Peloton by: 100,000,000 / 4,178,000,000 = 0.00237 or 0.237%

So, based on these assumptions, it can be estimated that working out on Peloton bikes could offset less than 0.25% of the US's annual electricity usage.