The annual COP26 climate conference took place in Glasgow in 2021 from October 31st, where a number of creative environmental initiatives are discussed as the spotlight shines on the city.
One of the initiatives unveiled involved the legendary Glasgow club SWG3, which trialled an innovative scheme aiming to generate energy from its dance floor — all in a bid to power the venue more sustainably.
Dubbed BODYHEAT, the system harnesses the heat energy created by staff and ravers 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 was 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 estimated that the project will enable it to save 70 tonnes of carbon emissions per year.
