Broadcasters' Energy Consumption

Submitted by Matt on Mon, 05/18/2009 - 20:49

An article in Broadcast Engineering seems to imply that for most terrestrial broadcasters, their production studios consume more energy than their transmission chains (master control, STL, transmitter, tower, etc.). It would be useful to see the data on this, as this has bigger implications for the media industry than just Green ICT.

We saw how complex the issue is when we dug into the reality of trade reports that KNTV was "powered by entirely wind". The issue's broader implications come from the rapidly diverging value propositions for terrestrial broadcasters' roles in their communities as both content creator and content distributor. Properly matching cost with value for each role is becoming critical.

I welcome the growing interest of all industries' traditional trade media in the topic of Green ICT; pairing this interest with an investment in solid data and insightful analysis will best serve their readers.

See also: "Carbon Footprint of a TV Station's Viewers".

TV Studio Lighting

Submitted by Matt on Sun, 07/19/2009 - 20:11.

@ecologee has called my attention to a German television talk show for which conventional studio lights were replaced by neon lights during most of the program. The production reports a 99.5% reduction in lighting energy consumption. You can see the transition, a distinct blue cast to the image, a little after 9:40 into this clip: http://www.zdf.de/ZDFmediathek/content/710696?inPopup=true.

Alternative color-balanced studio lighting is supplied by companies such as Videssence (fluorescent) and Litepanels (LED). John Luff explains in Broadcast Engineering:

"Next to high-power transmitters, light has historically been the most voracious user of energy in a TV operation...the NAB Engineering Handbook still recommends 55W [per sq. ft.*], in any event a consequential amount of power to which one must add the power that HVAC systems contribute...Lighting system technology took a large step toward improved energy efficiency when compact fluorescent studio lighting was introduced in 1981. Traditional incandescent lighting consumes up to 90 percent more power for equivalent light output. Heat generated is proportionally lower as well. There is no free lunch, of course. Dimming fluorescents requires special dimmers and, unlike point source lights like Fresnels and other focusable fixtures, they offer different artistic results. You would be hard pressed to light a TV drama with fluorescents, but a TV news set can be illuminated by mostly, or all, low-energy fixtures...A second benefit is the exceptionally long life of at least 8000 hours. The net effect is a huge economic advantage in operating cost when all factors are considered."

Read a summary of an LED studio lighting case study.

* A 400 m2 studio would require 220,000 watts of lighting if lit by incandescent to National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) recommendations. An alternative form of specification (e.g., lumens) will be needed as more studios mix incandescent, flourescent, and LED. [footnote mine, not Mr. Luff's]

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