A few years ago, a high school theatre student e-mailed me as part of a class assignment. The subject of his e-mail concerned the tremendous amount of energy the entertainment industry uses to light a typical show. He suggested that we were not very ecologically-minded and that we should do something about it. I was highly amused by his e-mail and I sent him a reply explaining in the nicest terms I could that it's not practical to light a big show using any less energy. I'm starting to re-think that.
Over the past year or so, I've been looking at certain performance venues and I'm concluding that those that are about 15 years or older, and haven't been upgraded since then, are probably not up to current energy efficiency standards. Fifteen years ago, ETC introduced the Source Four fixture, which is much more efficient than the ellipsoidal fixtures they have been replacing since then. In addition, the lobbies and houses that are lit by incandescent recessed cans are steadily being replaced by CFLs and T5 and T8 fluorescent fixtures. LEDs are also slowly gaining ground and replacing a variety of less efficient color changing fixtures. The larger the venue, the more the likelihood that huge amounts of energy are being wasted. Ironically, it takes capital to upgrade the lighting systems to make them more efficient. But once the upgrades are completed, then it not only reduces electricity consumption, but it also reduces the HVAC load as well. Both of these improvements save money, but the best part is that it not only saves energy, but it helps to save the environment too. We need greener stages.
I wish I had that kid's e-mail address. I would e-mail him and let him know that he just might have planted a seed deep in my thick head. If you recognize yourself as the one who e-mailed me a few years ago, let me know. And, thank you.
