Troy Schmidt with Clocks and Dice guitarist Mikel Johnson and the solar-powered sound system. Pic: Scott Fletcher
SUNLIGHT will power performances in the the exclusive Lotus Palace VIP area at Bluesfest this weekend, thanks to a green Southern Cross University initiative.The solar-powered sound system, nicknamed The Sunflower, has a generator with 1.2kw solar panels that open up like the petals of a flower and can be tilted to follow the sun throughout the day.
Contemporary music course co-ordinator Barry Hill said the launch of the environmentally friendly system at Bluesfest was a boon for the SCU Visual Arts technicians and students who designed it.
"Music festivals are not just about music these days; music festivals are a great place to show off new creative ideas," he said.
"Across the Bluesfest weekend, the students will be assisting SCU technicians operate the solar-powered sound system and will monitor the venue's power consumption and logging the solar energy data as part of a feasibility study into alternative energy use at music festivals.
"Designing and operating this sort of cutting-edge technology gives students the opportunity to extend their industry connections, which are vital to creating a pathway into the music industry once they graduate."
Technician Troy Schmidt said everything from the sound desk to the speakers, lights and audio visual effects would be powered by the Sunflower, which had the capacity to plug into a power cable if it there was limited sunlight on the day.
"The whole reason we took on the project is to show the way sustainable design principles can be promoted within the Australian music industry, as well as promoting best practice in alternative power generation and energy-efficient audio-visual technology," he said.
University band Clocks and Dice successfully trialled the system during O-week events at the new Bilinga campus as part of the Positively Powered Tour last month.
Bluesfest is held over the Easter weekend, from March 28 to April 1, at Byron Bay.
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