Tag Archives: Energy revolution

Industry Green Survey 2017: The Results

Event Industry Green Survey 2017: The Results

UK Festivals Get Smart with Power and Travel 

A major shift in the way UK festivals approached energy management and Travel Planning in 2017 has been revealed in the annual Festival & Events Industry Green Survey.

The survey, run by Powerful Thinking, showed that the percentage of UK festivals actively working with their power suppliers to increase efficiency and reduce fuel doubled from one in four to half of events between 2016 and 2017. It also shows that the percentage of festivals promoting sustainable travel to their audiences has risen from 28% of events in 2016 to 80% in 2017, a significant change.

Further positive shifts in getting smart with power for the 50 participating UK festivals were: 58% started monitoring generator loads in 2017, 20% said they are using sustainably sourced HVO fuel and 20% are now using hybrid technology to help cut fossil fuel use, costs and associated emissions.

This is the third year that a major shift has been reported by the survey, demonstrating a wider shift in practices and technologies being employed.

However, the survey also found that only around 1 in 3 festivals are receiving a detailed post-event power consumption report. Understanding how power was used is a key tool in planning efficient energy systems for future events, so this is a area that event organisers can prioritise in coming years. Festivals also reported that the most common barrier in using renewable energy at events was finding a supplier of hybrid and solar generators.

Andy Lenthall, General Manager of the Production Services Association (PSA) suggests that festivals are increasingly overcoming these barriers by, “finding a power supplier who can supply a detailed post-event report and who are willing to put in the extra mile to manage energy more efficiently and source alternative energy equipment.”

The survey suggests that inability to find a supplier to help meet their efficiency targets is the most common frustration for organisers aiming to change their practices. Event organisers looking for power suppliers who can help them meet their sustainability goals can use the Powerful Thinking Sustainable Power Supplier List or use the online factsheet on tips for contract writing: Five Tips for Smart Energy Contracts. Organisers can also learn more about sustainable energy practices in the Smart Energy Guide (a free PDF download in English, Dutch, Catalan and French) and from factsheets and case studies on the Powerful Thinking website.

On the subject of travel, a significant shift was seen in the way organisers are working to increase sustainable travel to their events. The percentage of festivals promoting sustainable travel to their audiences has risen from 28% of events in 2016 to 80% in 2017. With audience travel accounting for up to 80% of the average UK music festivals’ CO2 footprint this is a great place to start in tackling environmental impacts. In 2017, 25% of participating festivals offered travel carbon-balancing for their audiences to address travel emissions through the charity Energy Revolution.

Organisers can learn more about this initiative and find advice on how to increase sustainable travel in the Energy Revolution Guide To Sustainable Travel.

Photo credit: Louise Roberts for Shambala Festival

Energy Revolution Launch Sustainable Travel Guide for Festivals & Events

The Energy Revolution Guide to Sustainable Travel for Festival and Events was launched at the Festival Vision:2025 meeting at the Showman’s Show last month. Energy Revolution is a UK charity that helps festivals turn travel miles into 100% clean energy through investment in renewable energy projects.

With audience travel making up 80% of the average UK festival’s carbon footprint, tackling travel emissions is a key part of any festivals sustainability strategy. The new Sustainable Travel Guide, written by Chris Johnson (Shambala Festival, Powerful Thinking & Energy Revolution), explains the impacts of event-related travel and offers festivals and events practical solutions to start reducing the impacts of audience and supplier travel. The Guide is part of the resources that Energy Revolution offers to festivals and events in calculating, reducing, and balancing CO2e emissions from audiences, suppliers and artists.

Download your copy of The Energy Revolution Sustainable Travel Guide 

Energy Revolution has enabled festival audiences to balance over three million travel miles so far with balancing donations being invested in renewable energy projects in India (wind power and reforestation) and Bristol (solar).

It’s easy and free for festivals to sign up to become a member of Energy Revolution – members receive further resources and guidance on making audience travel more sustainable including use of the Travel Carbon Calculator, help in setting up carbon balancing for their audience travel miles and an annual certificate celebrating the miles and kgCO2e they have balanced.

Contact hello@energy-revolution.org.uk for information on becoming a member. Check out the website for details on the renewable energy projects and participating festivals, suppliers and artists: http://www.energy-revolution.org.uk

Vision:2025 Festivals in the Press: Access All Areas

Meaningful Hedonism: “Collaboration is key to fulfilling the Festival Vision 2025 Pledge and we’re keen to keep proving that meaningful hedonism and environmental ethics can go hand-in-hand.”

For its June edition Access All Areas Magazine headed to Swingamajig to talk to Chris Johnson, Chair of Powerful Thinking, about sustainability at Swingamajig and Shambala Festival, and how projects Energy Revolution, Powerful Thinking and Festival Vision: 2025 are working to build communities of festivals, audiences and suppliers committed to working together to create positive change and a more environmentally sustainable festival industry.

Read the full article at Access All Areas.