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The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ has launched a new guide that will help television productions to cut carbon emissions and save on their energy bills.

The new – sponsored by the Carbon Trust and produced in partnership with Arup – is being made available to all industry professionals to help reduce their energy consumption and carbon footprint as part of an industry-leading ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ campaign – The Difference – to improve sustainability.

The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ has a target of 20% reduction in energy consumption by 2013 and needs to use energy more efficiently and adopt low carbon technologies to achieve this which is why low energy lighting (LEL) can help. LEL lamps last longer than traditional ones allowing maintenance cost savings to be made, and the new lamps offer more flexible ways to change light colour.

There are already some real success stories with TV productions switching to LEL and proving that it is practical, cost effective and sustainable. ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Three's Mongrels has for example saved 40% of its energy consumption by using low energy lighting, and Silent Witness is saving around 30%.

Other ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ programmes are about to introduce LEL including the new set of Casualty, which will use 100% LELs when it moves to Cardiff Bay. Studios in London and in the buildings occupied by the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ at MediaCityUK will also use new LED fresnels for regional news programmes, sports coverage, the News Channel and on the new set of ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Breakfast. The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ believes that by sharing this guide everyone working in the industry can find out how to reduce the carbon footprint of their own productions.

Sally Debonnaire, Controller, Production Operations, Vision Productions, said: "The new Low Energy Lighting Guide for TV productions will ensure the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ is helping programme-makers across the industry to reduce their energy consumption and carbon footprint. Though each programme is different, we can hopefully share learning across our production methods in order to produce the most sustainable productions possible for the benefit of our audiences and the environment."

Florence Lam, Leader of Arup's global lighting design team, said: "'We've tested the performance of the latest low energy lighting kit in a studio environment.  We tested their colour characteristics and lux levels under various beam angles.  This information is what production design teams need.  We would encourage manufactures and suppliers of LEL to provide better standardised information so better informed decisions can be made."

Adrian Poole, Director of IT and Technology Delivery, said: "Only by having a shared goal of reducing our energy consumption whilst maintaining the quality of light, have we now got to a stage where low energy lighting is now a reality for productions. We hope that this guide will help move the whole industry forward in creating a sustainable future."

This week the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's Sustainability and ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Research & Development teams, with Arup lighting, ran a workshop for industry professionals to launch the guide with performance test results of some of the latest low energy lighting. Participants were given the chance to learn from the experiences of teams using low energy lighting in News production areas of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ.

Notes to Editors

The Difference

The Difference, the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's sustainability strategy, is focused on how we run our business as we strive to be a responsible steward of human, natural and financial resources and sets the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ the following challenges:

• The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ will focus reducing its impact on the environment, working with suppliers to improve sustainability and making efficient use of financial resources
• The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ also believes that is should lead the media industry in sustainability – creating and exemplifying industry best practice. The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ will aim to set the pace by leading the development of best practice; exemplifying change through its own behaviour; and encouraging the wider industry to take action
• This isn't about editorial decisions, just the way the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ works. Editorial decisions will be guided by due impartiality and diversity of opinion
• The initiatives will save the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ money over the current licence fee period

The Difference schemes

As well as the LEL guide, other high-profile measures promoted by The Difference include:

• "Albert", the Carbon Calculator which helps producers to measure and reduce the carbon footprint of their programmes, and is now being developed for use across industry by a wide ranging consortium led by BAFTA
• 24-hour zones for workers outside of office hours – allowing large parts of buildings to shut down when not in use and reducing the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's workplace energy consumption
• Installation of water-saving devices to contribute to the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's target of 25% reduction in water used per person, by 2013
• Video conferencing upgrades to reduce the need for travel to meetings and contribute to the target of 20% reduction in CO2 emissions due to transport

Environmental targets

The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ has set itself some challenging targets for improving the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's environmental performance by 2013. These are:

• 20% reduction in energy consumption
• 20% reduction in CO2 emissions due to transport
• 25% reduction in water used
• 25% reduction in waste to landfill and to recycle 75% of waste

About Arup

As part of Arup's research, quantitative lighting surveys were undertaken to review lighting equipment used and production working practices, to develop benchmarks and take account of the views of relevant stakeholders. The Carbon Trust co-funded work on this initiative, and has reviewed and agreed details of the potential carbon savings.

A low-energy lighting demonstration, attended by over 70 delegates hosted in November by Arup and ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Sustainability, and its Studios teams allowed 12 international low-energy lighting manufacturers to display their products in a studio and provide information about the latest low energy lighting options. ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ and Arup are planning a joint event at the next PLASA show in September 2011.

³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Press Office