Dissertation, Energy policies

[deedee]

Hi,

 

I've just started researching for my dissertation, which is on the Mayor of London's "Green Theatre Report" and the effects it has had on energy policies in west end theatres, I will also be looking into how realistic some of the recomendations are.

 

I have two questions for you all!

 

First, other than emailing theatres and asking for their policies, does anybody have access to any of them? (I have ATG's and DTM's)

 

Secondly, Does anybody have any suggestions into secondary readings?

 

If anybody on here was actually involved in writing the report, I'd be really greatful if they could get in touch too!

 

Thanks

Dee

[Brian]

If you need to reference theatres using alternative energies then google 'Arcola' and 'arcola energy'.

[deedee]

Thanks, got that one!

[Smiffy]

Just found the site and started reading it. Rant imminent :D (and I'm only at the end of the first page)

 

Cheers

 

Smiffy

 

A concurrent post has been automatically merged from this point on.

 

Actually, Not that bad and I stand corrected. At first glance it looked to be an exercise in stating the bleeding obvious, but then it dawned on me that for many, it may need to be explained in such detail.

 

Anyway, that doesn't answer your questions Dee.

 

I'd certainly try and get hold of Paule Constable, as she gets a whole page and so obviously has an interest in this (as all working LD's should), and I'd try talking to Bryan Raven at White Light and Peter Marshall at PRG, both approachable and lovely chaps, although both Very, Very busy. But ultimately, those two are probably responsible for equipping most of the West End's 'Big Rigs' and so would probably have some insight.

 

Talk to the Association Of Lighting Designers too. It's something I'm going to bring up with them in the ALD forum here anyway, but it's certainly something that their membership should be quite knowledgeable about (Paule is also a member of the ALD, so you could probably kill two birds with one stone there).

 

Cheers

 

Smiffy

[andy_s]

You could also look into the Theatres Trust Ecovenue programme.

you'll find it cross-references with other stuff, as it's still a fairly small area...

 

for example the hydrogen cells used to power the lights on their stands at the ABTT show were supplied by WhiteLight I believe...

[madorangepanda]

for example the hydrogen cells used to power the lights on their stands at the ABTT show were supplied by WhiteLight I believe...

A collaboration between White Light, BOC gases and Arcola Energy in fact.

[andy_s]

for example the hydrogen cells used to power the lights on their stands at the ABTT show were supplied by WhiteLight I believe...

A collaboration between White Light, BOC gases and Arcola Energy in fact.

quite right, but in this instance I'm talking about the supply of the equipment white light hire not the development of the technology.

 

I've no connection with Whitelight other than occasional use of their services, but I think it's worth noting that this kit is starting to emerge into the rental market.... after some years in use (in a fairly limited way as I understand it) at the Arcola.

[deedee]

Thanks guys!

[TeeJay]

Hi,

 

you may have found this through the Arcola links but also have a look at Julie's Bicycle

 

They should be able to help out with some of the contextual work for what you are looking for - and Smeasure should help with secondary readings also. They also have started up the Green Theatre's Network ...

 

As you are looking at the report from the Mayor of London, I presume that you are also looking into the Green Procurement Code also? There are several London theatres on that list.

 

Ultimately, I think you are going to find that the report hasn't had much effect on energy policies. That may change once Tim Atkinson and the Ecovenue project get up and running but in the 2 years since that report (and yes, it was going on BEFORE the present mayoral incumbrent), I suspect that the theatres who were good on their eco-policies have remained good and the rest are still playing catch-up

 

It would be nice to be proved wrong ...

[Dmills]

Not really directly germane, but the whole Hydrogen "energy" thing **REALLY** winds me up.

 

Hydrogen is not a primary energy source people (in fact most of it is made by cracking hydrocarbons making H2 and CO2 as reaction products, hardly a net win).

The cell stacks are **Expensive** assuming a proton exchange membrane cell is being used, think well north of a dollar per watt, and theatres have a notoriously high demand factor.

 

You want a greener theatre, do the basics then fit a CHP plant in the boiler room, size it for the required thermal load and use the electrical side to lop the peaks off the demand graph.

This is actually potentially cost (and carbon) effective and well recover the capital cost in a reasonable time (A 100 KVA electrical, maybe 250KW thermal plant is not that expensive). Remember that the "waste" heat can be used to power absorption chillers for the aircon.

 

Of course more efficient lanterns are probably the place to start (helps both lighting power load and air-conditioning thermal load, so that's two for the price of one), but one thing I have noticed is that better lanterns tend to be run just as hard as their less efficient brethren. Running lower power lanterns is many times more effective then running a high power unit with the fader pulled down to 40%.

 

I ran the numbers on this a few years back for a refit, and after doing the basics (and doing a solar thermal hot water system (BIG tanks!)), the only thing that gave a reasonable ROI was the gas fired CHP plant, PV (even with the grants, which they would NOT give us for the CHP system) was still horrible, wind was hopeless and had serious planning issues, and heat pumps ONLY make sense if you are NOT powering them electrically....

 

After presenting the numbers, the board of trustees had real issues with the CHP system because it did not look obviously green (Engines, alternators and heat exchangers), where something like PV would give people the impression of being green (Which apparently matters more then a total KG(CO2)/KJ calculation, sigh).

 

Regards, ( A tired and Cynical) Dan