Tech Column

Tech Column Mobile Power Stations Bring Green Peace to Sets

Canada’s movie sets are getting greener with the debut of rechargeable mobile power stations. Both Sim International and William F. White rolled out their giant battery packs late last summer and demand is such that out of the gate they’ve ordered more to stock across Canada. “Even before I joined Whites, I’ve always been looking for ways to reduce the carbon footprint as an industry,” David Hardy, William F. White’s VP of Stakeholder Affairs and Sustainability, says. “So these are not only quieter than a super quiet diesel, they’re emissions free, which is big for us.” The company has two models each in 6 kW and 26 kW with 20 more in each on order, while Sim has two 72 kW models in Vancouver and is looking at adding them across the country. Clearly, it’s an idea whose time has arrived, not just because they essentially have no emissions on set, but also because they bring an added dimension to the always tricky logistics of sets. Sim’s Senior VP of Production Services Jeff Ramsay says no diesel means shooting in parks or environmentally sensitive locations, and even residential neighbourhoods – who mutter about the incursion of film crews at the best of times – are more accepting if there’s no diesel generator puttering away 12 hours a day. Noise, of course, is a factor, and while the units have fans and hum, it’s relatively minor compared to generators. Their size and their zero emissions also mean they can be loaded into elevators or lifted into high rises where there may not be power for lighting and there are issues with exhaust for traditional generators. Similarly, they can be brought closer to the setup without super long cabling. Beyond filming, Ramsay says, they’re also ideal for keeping the support ecosystem of a film set running, such as the craft table and the on-set workflow tech stations. “They won’t necessarily replace all diesel generators on sets, but think about it, if you have 100 productions a year in Canada and we replace one generator on set, that’s 100 generators and less emissions, and that’s something,” he says. It does add up. Sim says their unit cuts up to 124kg of CO2 emissions savings per charge. They’re also about the same size and weight of a diesel and offer 125 kW of power storage with 72 kW output, with a three-phase 120/208V power supply at 200 amps per phase. While Sim designed and built their own units, William F. White has been working with Vancouver-based Portable Electric, which has been selling its Volt Stack products to a variety of sectors and has expanded into the film and television sector. It doesn’t take a degree in electrical engineering to understand there are some limitations to the output of these units compared to diesel, but, as always, it’s about knowing what’s needed and where. They won’t run M40s all night, but they’ll stand up for LED or lighting with lower draws. Sim’s 72 kW system runs 10 kw for 12.5 hours more or less, or an 18K HMI for a 6.5 hours and four M40 HMI for 3.5 hours. White’s 6 Kwh and 26 Kwh similarly will run a 1 kW load or fixture for six hours on the smaller unit and 26 hours on the larger. Depending on what source they are plugged into – where voltage and amperage are the key factors – recharging is about five to seven hours or longer. What’s good, however, says Hardy, is that when capture is wrapped, they don’t need a generator operator hanging around. Assuming there’s enough power left to run some computers, the on-set production crew back up and process the data and just shut the units down with a flick of a switch. “It’s really where the industry is going,” Hardy says. “They’re cutting out plastic water bottles on set and really looking at the emissions and carbon footprint.”

Ian Harvey is a journalist who has been writing about digital disruption for 20 years. He welcomes feedback and eagerly solicits subject matter ideas at ian@pitbullmedia.ca.