Energy Efficiency

The Sunrise Energy Efficiency Challenge

Who is the Energy Efficiency Challenge aimed at?

The Challenge is aimed at all the traders and stall holders at the Sunrise Celebration Festival 2010.

What is the Sunrise Energy Efficiency Challenge?

There are actually 2 challenges. Challenge One is for traders to reduce their energy consumption by 20% over the year between Sunrise 2010 and 2011. Challenge Two is for traders to switch from mains electric to micro-generation of renewable energy over the same period.

Why are we running the Challenge?

The Sunrise Celebration Festival hosts between 50-100 traders/stall holders ever year. Whilst the event is ''sustainably' powered - using a mix of bio diesel, solar, wind and other renewables - 60% of the traders still plug into the generator grid.

As a festival, we are committed to eliminating our dependence on biofuels over the period 2009-2012 and have already made steps in this direction. Traders, as independent units, are more of a challenge to convert, yet they account for over 30% of our total power consumption on site.

The Energy Efficiency Challenge is a way of providing an incentive to change as well as the reasons to. Its a unique opportunity to receive expert advice on energy from a team of experts and great publicity!

We hope that this Challenge will inspire other festivals to take steps to reduce the power consumption of their traders and to show just how easy and affordable it can be!

What is the reward?

The true reward is the valuable contribution to a low carbon, sustainable economy. However, as attractive as this is, we will also be offering the winners of the 2 challenge categories free pitches at the Sunrise Celebration 2011 plus a limited-edition Sunrise gift pack. All traders which make the switch to renewables will receive 20% off their pitch fees for the coming year.

There is also the added bonus of year-round publicity, space on our website and other goodies to be revealed...

How will it be measured?

Sunrise, in partnership with a renewable energy partner (Details still being confirmed), will be offering traders a loan of Energy Metering equipment so that they can test their energy use on site at the festival in 2010. Traders interested in the challenge can sign up in advance, when filling out initial applications, or else can do so on site at any time during the event. The details taken will be used to offer advice on energy conservation measures, renewable energy options and in measuring against their consumption in 2011.

How will we help?

Our renewable energy provider will be on hand to offer energy conservation and renewable energy advice. They will be offering renewable energy kits to traders, customised for their individual needs. All stallholders will be provided energy efficiency packs as part of the application procedures.

There will be a special link on our website for traders to link up with the renewable energy provider in advance.

Why get involved?

The current 10:10 campaign is aimed at cutting carbon emissions across the UK by 10% in 2010. It is currently a very high profile eco-initiative. As a festival already committed to sustainability, and with a cutting-edge environmental policy, Sunrise always likes to do a bit more. We would like to see a 20% cut in energy consumption from all our traders and stall-holders to demonstrate just how easy it is to go Green, even in a field!

Sunrise is committed to its renewable energy targets and, by 2012, aims to cut out all together any virgin growth bio-fuels from its operation. As part of this, traders wishing to continue working with the festival, will need to make their own switch. This Challenge is an incentive to at least start down that path.

The UK performing arts Festival Industry incorporates over 400 annual events and over 2 million attendees a year, ranging from classical music to folk arts, from urban parks to country estates and everything in between. The one continuous factor at all these events is stall holders, many of whom continue to use their own generators or plug into the main electricity supply.

As such a major industry, with high travel miles and large energy-consuming infrastructure, vast temporary populations and the waste that comes with them, festivals face the same challenges as other businesses and population centres in the UK.

Sunrise aims to set an example to traders and other festivals with this competition, and invites other events to take up the Challenge it presents.

How do we sign up?

Download an information sheet from the website. When applying for your trading pitch, tick the box on the power provision form to enter the Challenge. More details will be sent out to you with confirmation of your pitch.

For more information email: jevans14@toucansurf.com