Campers, glampers and motorhome visitors at Kent’s Vicar’s Picnic music festival in July were able to see in the dark, sleep in silence and enjoy an environmentally-friendly weekend thanks to their engineering and inventive neighbours here at Green Gate.
With similar green credentials, we got together to ensure that festival-goers could see around the site after dark and had a good night’s sleep without being disturbed by generators – with the midday sun providing fuel for the lights at night.
Our engineers invented the UK’s first solar-powered and mobile lighting rigs and barriers as part of their SOSEC range, initially for a construction client needing electricity-free barriers. But that original design has expanded to include three more barrier designs and two lighting rigs. Outdoor events and festivals across the country are now hiring them in for their next events, keen and under pressure to reduce their carbon footprints.
The 12 lighting rigs were wheeled into position, unfolded and put to work immediately, having been charged up by the sun. With no mains electricity needed, fuel costs and chances of breaking down were zero.
Festival-goers would also have come through the solar-powered entrance barrier on arrival too.
The sun was glorious for the weekend, but even on overcast and cloudy winter days there still would have been enough sunlight to power both the lights and barriers.
After the event, Vicar’s Picnic founder Dave King said: “These green and environmentally-friendly lighting solutions were the perfect partner for a carbon-conscious festival, lighting the way for artists and campers alike.”
Operations Manager Martin Salmons added: “Festivals and other public events are under increasing pressure to deliver an environmentally-efficient product, with minimal carbon footprint, reduction in plastic usage and a reduction in fuel consumption. The use of solar products such as the SOSEC lighting systems goes a long way towards achieving this. The lights were very popular with festival-goers, especially in the camping areas. The benefits of silent operation, no emissions and ease of positioning were well-received, and the use of solar products will be part of any future Vicar’s Picnic festivals.”
Our Managing Director Neil Sampson, said: “It’s a real pleasure to be involved with a rapidly-growing event such as the Vicar’s Picnic. Just like us, they grew from nothing and are now award-winning, still family-run and highly respected nationally.
“It’s been a great opportunity for us to put a green slant on the festival, not just about saving the environment in terms of fuel but also noise pollution – the campers won’t have been disturbed by generators as solar is silent! The mobile and solar barriers and lights are game-changers for outdoor events and festivals, solving power problems among others and we’ll be at many different events over the next year with them.”
They’re also being used at outdoor events, for temporary lighting, in construction, mining, corporate sites, schools, hospitals and for highways work.
Find out more about the SOSEC range here.