Lighting efficiency Theatres
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the project I imagine.’ Atkinson sees control systems as a key area for improving energy saving. Some venues see them as too expensive, he says, while others don’t know how to programme the ones they’ve got. ‘Building management systems remain an unknown and scary area. Some theatres have never looked into getting a decent control system because it’s seen as a high upfront cost, without realising that it can give quite a short payback.’ There are also straightforward measures that venues
can take, he suggests, as Nottingham Playhouse recently demonstrated. Simply installing a power protection device has cut energy use by 13%. Energy saving has been Atkinson’s speciality, but the
Ecovenue remit is a broad one and other sustainability issues will have to be addressed. ‘We want to try to get a handle on this. At the moment there’s not much incentive when it comes to water, for instance, which is a fairly cheap commodity. We’re keen to get people to recognise that there is still a carbon impact, and the same with waste, which covers everything from costumes and props to catering.’ While the Ecovenue scheme will undoubtedly be
very useful in terms of the DECs and general audit, it offers no funding to implement recommendations and will also end in 2012. What then? ‘There are
Case studies
were switched to 70W Master CDM-T Elite technology. The theatre will save an estimated 90,000kWh (75% reduction) and 39 tonnes of CO2 per year. Phase 3: will involve replacing the electronic SEEFACT sign with a Philips Vidiwall. This will result in an estimated reduction of 55% in electricity consumed, saving 30 tonnes of CO2 per year.
National Theatre: front of house The National is working with Philips to replace its lighting in a five-year partnership package. Phase 1: renewal of external lighting, reducing energy consumption of the previous installation by an estimated 50%. Phase 2: in 2008, tungsten downlights in the foyer of the Oliver Theatre were replaced with LED fittings, a total of 120 units, used on average for 10 hours a day. This cut lighting energy use by 88%, taking annual consumption from 25.5 to 3 MWH and achieving almost 10 tonnes of annual CO2 savings. It is estimated that annual electricity bills will fall from more than £1,500 to about £185 – an 88% saving. The light source and control gear in the ETC Source 4 Profiles (spots on wall bars) throughout the foyers
National Theatre: back of house Because of improvements to discharge technology there is no longer a need to ‘warm up’ lights to make sure they won’t fail during the middle of a show. In 2008, the National experimented with the age-old practice of keeping moving stage lights switched on (and shuttered) for hours before performances. Over 12 days and 18 performances of the award-winning production, War Horse, moving stage lights were switched off at the end of the rig check late in the afternoon, until 35 minutes before the show began. Every time, the lights came on cleanly and never failed during a performance. The move created an estimated annual saving of £1,200, or 30% of typical lighting use. Further savings would be achieved in reduced air-conditioning requirements, and from
extended lamp life. The move has become standard practice when there is a clear hour between the end of the reset and the re-strike time.
Arcola Theatre The small independent London venue has embarked on a five-year programme to become the world’s first carbon neutral theatre. In 2008, the theatre installed a LED lighting system in the café-bar area. Because of the opportunities to showcase the technology, the lights were supplied free of charge, part of a sponsorship relationship with LED lighting manufacturer, PixelRange. The new lighting system has reduced energy costs in the bar by an estimated 60%, saving 4% of the total annual electricity bill and reducing CO2 emissions by 628kg.
various initiatives we can point venues towards that they simply won’t be aware of,’ says Atkinson. ‘Some London boroughs offer support, for instance, and we can help them put together applications for Carbon Trust loans. We’re in the position to help them inform their five-year plan.’
Research hasn’t really been done,
and this project will be a learning process – we don’t know what the savings potentially could be
At the end of the project an external report will be
commissioned, and a lasting, useful legacy will be a website offering advice and case history parallels. Given the ‘minimal publicity’, says Atkinson, he
is encouraged by the 30 applications that have been received so far, though that still leaves nearly two-thirds of the venues that could qualify. ‘I think there’s already a significant will out there,
but in some cases it takes a while to change attitudes. Some things have been done the same way for 50 years and it’s like the proverbial turning of the tanker.’ l
www.theatrestrust.org.uk/resources/ecovenue
40
CIBSE Journal July 2010
www.cibsejournal.com
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