University’s solar-powered sound system shines at Bluesfest

Performances in the VIP area of the recent Byron Bay festival ‘Bluesfest’ were powered solely by the sun thanks to Southern Cross University’s (SCU) new green initiative - a solar-powered sound system.

Nicknamed the Sunflower, the sound system generator is the biggest in Australia in terms of its ability to support a main concert stage. It includes a 1.2 kW solar panel array that opens up like the petals of a flower that can be tilted and positioned for optimum orientation to the sun.

“We are proud to officially launch the solar-powered sound system at Bluesfest, an event which has won many awards for its green initiatives and environmentally friendly practices,” said Dr Barry Hill, Contemporary Music course coordinator at SCU and Sunflower developer.

“The aim of 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.”

Bluesfest boss Peter Noble welcomed the Sunflower to the festival.

“I applaud the SCU for developing this outstanding innovation. The Sunflower is another significant step forward to achieving our environmental goals.

“The triple bottom line is important to me and, in time, Bluesfest will also come to be known as a greenfest. People will come specifically to soak up our special vibe with an awareness they are partying up with full respect to our Earth.”

The Sunflower launch featured a panel discussion on sustainable innovation in an arts and cultural context with Byron Shire Mayor Cr Simon Richardson Council, Dr Barry Hill and Peter Noble, moderated by George Negus.

The sunflower was designed by SCU Visual Arts technicians and students. The battery storage and electronics were developed as part of a university professional placement and research and learning project to power a 5 kW sound system that uses the latest digital audio amplification technology.

Across the Bluesfest weekend, students assisted SCU technicians in operating the solar-powered sound system. Dr Hill said as part of a feasibility study into alternative energy use at music festivals, the students monitored the venue’s power consumption and logged the solar energy generation data.

“Music festivals are not just about music these days. Music festivals are a great place to show off new creative ideas,” he said.

“Operating this sort of cutting-edge technology gives SCU Contemporary Music students the opportunity to extend their industry connections which are vital to creating a pathway into the music industry once they graduate.”

Contemporary Music and Visual Arts technicians and students worked with industry partners - Creative Environment Enterprises, EV Energy Systems and local alternative energy company Rainbow Power Company - to help design and build the mobile system with a focus on developing the project as an interactive audio visual art installation as well as an energy generator. Custom metal fabrications for the solar panel array were constructed and safety certified by local metalwork design company North Coast Fabrications.

The sunflower project was funded by the SCU School of Arts and Social Sciences and a grant provided by the SCU Sustainability Fund.

For more information about SCU’s solar-powered sound system, go to www.scu.edu.au/sunflower.