THOUGHT LEADER
to even that out. I know some platforms are attempting to make it more available with certain initiatives.” But the greenest – and cheapest – way to power a set is not to use the power in the first place. Location One’s Carly Hardy thinks productions should be thinking about power as a finite resource to be cared for. “We need to think about reducing consumption,” Hardy explained at The Forum. “I know it’s less sexy because it’s not around the new tech, but it’s critical if we want to spend the least amount of money on these new fuels, whether it’s batteries or hydrogen. We’re looking at generating electricity with our on-set trailers that are covered in solar panels. “We’ve got the tech, but it’s how we embed it into our systems and the way we’re working. And systems are full of people. We’ve seen that some challenges are not around tech, but from people not liking change. But I’m feeling positive.”
tremendous longevity. A sodium battery can sit on a shelf for years and still be charged back up to full strength without any loss of its original capacity. Though the risk of fire in lithium batteries is fairly slim – assuming they’re undamaged and properly constructed – sodium batteries are chemically inert and not subject to the same fire safety protocols lithium batteries require. Hydrogen too is entering the mix, although it brings with it some of the same issues as HVO – encouraging the continuation of internal combustion infrastructure, variable provenance and substantial investment in transport and storage. Though currently in the testing and trial stage, some production specialists believe in it as a future power source for the media industry. ADAPTING TO A NEW POWER PARADIGM The higher price on some of these technologies can still be somewhat off- putting to a few production accountants, though an investment in battery power saves money in the long run. Prices are coming down as the market gets filled with a variety of competing options. In the short term, some productions may still find it challenging to transition fully to battery power. “We are fortunate to work on some high-end productions,” Green
F ounded by Neal Romanek – former editor of Definition ’s sister magazine FEED – and Neil Howman, The Flint is M&E’s new global information hub for sustainability, covering all entertainment verticals and all parts of the content supply chain. WHAT IS THE FLINT?
Find out more at theflint.media
Voltage’s Adam Baker told The Flint Forum, “and they do have budgets to do it. There can be a lot of focus on smaller productions that are more location- based and don’t possess the funds to invest in some greener technologies – they sometimes receive finger- pointing. It’s unfair and we should try
NEXT GENERATION Sodium batteries like Anton Bauer’s Salt-E Dog are emerging as an alternative to lithium options
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