Bristol’s We The Curious attraction approached Enlightened to design a new LED lighting scheme for its space that was both cost and energy efficient.
Typically LED fixture can use more than 80% less energy than a traditional theatrical lamp fulfilling the same function. What’s more, LEDs don’t just offer a reduction in energy use, but also vastly increased versatility in terms of colour choice and integrated control. Where two par cans may have been required (one as a white fill, the other with a gel as a coloured special effect light), both lighting effects can be effortlessly fulfilled by a single RGBW LED fixture that can switch between colours with just the touch of a button.
To maximise the venue’s budget and provide a more straightforward installation process, Enlightened used the venues existing rigging infrastructure, including replacing the older dimmers with more flexible and future-proofed grid switches and sockets. Movable dimmers were replaced with two Zero88 Alpha Packs, as well as eight ETC ColorSource PAR fixtures in the Deep Blue variant.
A Pharos TPC was installed to provide the space’s lighting control. The easy-to-use touch panel provides straightforward control over many programmed lighting states and effects, allowing even non-technical members of staff to easily trigger scenes and timelines, with flexibility for manual overrides. As it’s connected to the network, the IT department can also easily monitor and maintain the system.
Enlightened calculated that the annual saving for We The Curious could be as much as £15,000 over five years (representing both the saving in energy consumption and re-lamp maintenance of current fixtures), meaning the savings pay for the installation and fixtures in less than seven years. This saving also equates to a significantly reduced carbon footprint with a reduction of over 5 Tonnes of Carbon Dioxide per annum.
The savings Enlightened were able to provide We The Curious illustrate some of the greatest benefits of using LED fixtures; low maintenance costs, long life and reliability, reduced energy bills and carbon footprint, as well as the newly streamlined process for technical staff.
See more images in our showcase of We The Curious.
