Southern Cross University’s Sunflower won’t just be creating solar electricity for a concert at Woodford Folk Festival in Queensland, but making its own musical contribution as well.
A project of SCU School of Arts and Social Sciences, the Sunflower is a mobile solar power system featuring a 1.2 kW array of solar panels, a lithium battery-based energy storage system and audio visual management system.
Sunflower has been used around the country over the last couple of years to help power a number of arts and music events, making its public debut at Byron Bay’s Bluesfest in 2013.
On January 1, it will generate electricity for the New Year Sunrise Ceremony at the Woodford Folk Festival.
“It’s great that the Sunflower will be solar-powering one of the first Australian music concerts for 2016. It’s symbolic of the rapid development of practical sustainable energy technologies around the world,” said Dr Barry Hill, lead investigator on the Sunflower project and lecturer in music.
Sunflower will also be making music; controlled by the sun.
“The amount of power we generate and the amount of power we use is going to influence the sound you hear,” said Dr. Barry in an interview published on The Northern Star.
The goal of the Sunflower project is to foster environmental awareness within the Australian music industry and to promote best practice in solar and alternative power generation and efficient audiovisual technology.
Sunflower is funded by the SCU School of Arts and Social Sciences and a grant provided by the SCU Sustainability Fund.
The 30th Woodford Folk Festival is being held at Woodfordia, 500 acres of parkland located on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland in Queensland; just over an hour from Brisbane.
This year’s festival, which started on December 27 and finishes on January 1, is featuring more than 2000 performers and 438 events.
Solar energy is playing an increasing role in powering festivals around the world; including the recent OFF. the. GRID concert held at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art in Melbourne.
The proceeds from OFF. the. GRID will go towards the construction of a renewable power station in the city of Melbourne.
