Green Energy
& Sustainability
Caring for and working harmoniously with our environment is of great importance to us at Shakespeare Link.
Our carefully pruned and artisan woven theatre is nestled into the countryside of Mid Wales, and we strongly believe that its presence should work in harmony with and to the benefit of wildlife and natural ecosystems who host it.
With this in mind, and alongside our Shakespeare and Hay Meadow projects, we have developed what we believe is the only completely 'green' theatre in Wales, not only in a literal sense, but also in terms of sustainable energy.
Thanks to funding from Welsh Government we were able to upgrade our old solar system last December.
Powys Solar completed work on a 6kW ground-mounted solar photovoltaic array coupled with a 9.5kWh 𝙂𝙞𝙫𝙀𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙮 𝘽𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙨𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢.
The new installation is expected to offset a significant portion of the theatre's annual electricity consumption, drastically reducing its carbon footprint and operating costs. As the curtains rise on a new era of eco-friendly performances, the Willow Globe is proud and excited to embrace renewable energy solutions which pave the way for a greener future.
This state-of-the-art setup will not only provide clean electricity to power the theatre's operations but also ensure reliable power availability thanks to the GivEnergy battery backup. "We're thrilled to bring this cutting-edge technology to Willow Globe," says Andrew Lister, Managing Director of Powys Solar. "The GivEnergy battery system is a game-changer, allowing the theatre to store excess solar power generated during the day for use at night or during cloudy periods."
BATTERIES
The GivEnergy battery boasts an impressive depth of discharge of 100%, meaning every last bit of stored energy can be utilised efficiently. Its robust lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) chemistry ensures a long lifecycle of over 6,000 cycles, providing an incredibly durable and low-maintenance solution.
For the Willow Globe, this translates into enhanced energy resilience and reduced reliance on the grid. Actors and crew can rest assured that performances will go on without disruptions, while guests can enjoy an uninterrupted theatrical experience powered by sustainable energy.
We are assured that we can be confident that we are now committed to minimising our environmental impact while delivering an exceptional artistic experience. This solar and battery storage system from Powys Solar aligns well with ours values of sustainability and innovation.
INTERPRETATION
This funding for this project also enables usage interpretation via GivEnergy’s online platform. Through this we can get very detailed information on the performance of the panels. We can determine that even on show days we do not rely on backup from the grid. And that includes the tea urn and soup warmer!
Funding
The grant for this project was provided by the Welsh Government’s Community Facilities Programme. The funding was reliant on match funding supplied by Powys County Council (for our Refreshment Shelter), Crowd Funding for our Green Roof Backstage Shelter and Shakespeare Link's own resources
