The Truth About ‘Clean Energy’
When it comes to planning an energy strategy on film and television productions, there is a lot of misinformation to sift through. Are there any truly affordable alternatives to diesel generators? Do solar-powered sets run the risk of running out of energy? Isn’t it a hassle to recharge electric vehicles?
Thankfully, among Earth Angel by TheGreenShot’s team of world-class experts is advisor Kerri Coombs, who oversees the energy strategy for all of our clients’ productions, including power planning and clean energy implementation — And she’s here to set the record straight!
Myth: There is no practical, affordable alternative to fossil fuels for transportation and energy production.
Electric vehicles (EV) and large battery energy storage systems (BESS) are widely available, with sales growing by 35% per year. The same high capacity, high voltage battery technology that powers EV is also able to provide portable, zero emissions power for film sets, saving productions thousands of dollars in fuel spending.
Earth Angel helps filmmakers join this clean energy revolution with confidence by connecting local equipment and vehicle suppliers with productions across North America. We also help filmmakers understand which equipment choices will work best, and calculate and report on the carbon emissions and fuel costs avoided by embracing clean energy technology.
Global electric car stock, 2013-2023 (Source: IEA Global EV Outlook 2024)
Myth: Productions that rely heavily on batteries or solar power run the risk of running out of power before the end of the day.
Several major productions in North America have successfully implemented a fleet of trailers equipped with large batteries and solar panels to eliminate the need for a diesel base camp generator altogether, resulting in over 3T of carbon emissions avoided per week, and weekly fuel savings of over $1,500 on average.
Earth Angel helps filmmakers implement innovative strategies like solar-electric base camps. By forecasting production’s actual energy needs based on historic baseline data and show-specific information, we recommend equipment that can comfortably meet a production’s energy needs–without relying on a diesel generator.
Myth: Charging EVs from a diesel generator cancels out the carbon and fuel savings of using EVs in the first place.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) research shows that only 20% of the energy stored in gasoline is used to turn the wheels of an internal combustion engine vehicle (ICE), vs 88% for EVs. The rest is wasted in heat and friction. This means using EVs still results in significant carbon reduction even when they’re charged from a diesel generator. This is especially true when the load on the diesel generator is very low, which is frequently the case due to high variation in energy consumption throughout the day. In fact, with careful planning, it’s actually possible to charge a fleet of EVs without impacting the diesel generator’s fuel consumption at all.
Earth Angel connects filmmakers with EV suppliers across North America, providing operational support in developing effective charging logistics plans even when long distances and remote locations are involved.
When figuring out what kind of energy strategy is right for you, don’t let misinformation cloud your judgement! There are clean, tried and true alternatives to traditional fossil fuels that can save your production time and money — All while reducing your carbon footprint. Energy can be complicated, but Earth Angel is here to walk you through every step of the way.
