CMU School of Drama


Sunday, August 31, 2008

New Rig Cuts Energy Needs by 90 Percent

PLSN: "Using Robe and Anolis LED products, lighting designer Lawrence T. Doyle was able to reduce the power consumption needed to run lights for Boxford Masques’ biannual community production by 90 percent. This year’s performance, Knight & Day, was staged over a week in a natural amphitheatre on the top of Hoar Hill in Berkshire, U.K."

5 comments:

Sam Thompson said...

This is great! It's really good to hear about people experimenting with new techniques, especially when they help the environment and work well! It sounds like the use of LED instruments could become more and more common in the future, seeing as they work just as well, if not better than, normal instruments. The LEDs used less power, they were quieter, and the color temperature was more consistent. It seems that LEDs could help solve some of those pesky lighting design problems that normal instruments bring up (hot spots, varying color temperatures, etc.)

Anonymous said...

Wow. That is pretty awesome. I wonder what they're power useage was beforehand and if he actively tried to cut back or if it just happened. It seems like the world is going a little LED crazy right now, but I guess if it cuts back on power useage, more power to 'em! (hardy-har-har)

Anonymous said...

Ask yourself, have you ever seen the power bill for a full production house? It's just staggering. Some places spend thousands and thousands a month on their electric bill. The thought of being able to reduce energy costs is exciting not just in power consumption but reducing the cost of operating expenses for a theater company that owns it's own building. Plus the ability to have to take smaller generators on the road, there by making a tour that much "lighter" would always be welcomed by the roadies I would think.

cmalloy said...

I am so incredibly excited by this. My dad's an electrical engineer who's done tone of research on LED technology. Our house has LEDs wherever he could possibly install them; I've had a LED flashlight he gave me for years now. It's just such an incredible technology and I hope it continues to improve and gain widespread use in the theater community.

Unknown said...

The entertainment industry is a far way form green, but it’s nice to hear that some are trying to limit consumption. The very nature of the industry is counter to conservation. Everything we build is temporary. We buy material knowing that the length of its use is very limited. Maybe recycling is the answer for the theater world to be green.