The Stage

Arcola pioneers outdoor eco-lighting system

Published Tuesday 8 June 2010 at 16:45 by Natalie Woolman

A portable lighting system powered by fuel cells has been launched by north London’s Arcola Theatre and White Light as an environmentally-friendly alternative for festivals and outdoor theatres to lights that rely on diesel generators.

Arcola Energy, an offshoot of the Arcola Theatre, and White Light, which supplies lighting equipment and services to the entertainment industry, have launched HyLight.

The new system will allow events organisers to use lighting in locations that are away from the electrical grid without the noise or volume of emissions created by traditional diesel generators.

Executive director of Arcola Theatre Ben Todd said: “The important thing is it gives you power for lights in the middle of nowhere, self-contained, in a nice easy flight case. The thing that we’ve put our work into is making it easy to use and reliable.”

“I hope that it will broaden the conversation on low-energy lighting and this will be another tool that allows people who are really keen to do this but don’t know where to start: it’s a great way for them to get started.”

Todd said the system was ideal for outdoor events. The cells currently available are 150 watts but Todd said his team was looking to develop the system, potentially up to a 2,000-watt cell. However, this work would depend on funding.

HyLight150 was developed with financial support from the Technology Strategy Board. The cells include a new Hymera hydrogen fuel cell generator and lightweight hydrogen gas cylinders. The hydrogen used to power the system comes from North Sea gas and, although the cells are not carbon-neutral, the quantity of hydrogen needed to power the lights is relatively minor.

Hylight150 will be on display at the ABTT Theatre Show in London later this month.

Arcola Energy was established in 2007.