Energy: From Diesel Generators to 100% Renewable Sources
Powering a big multi-day festival is no small feat. The simplest and often cheapest option? Using diesel generators that need about 50,000 liters per edition. And each of those liters is responsible for over 2,5 kg of CO2 emissions. Not an option, clearly. DGTL now aims to run on 100% renewable energy instead. But with a changing energy landscape, that can prove difficult. Each year, it’s a struggle to find the best solution while exploring potential others – like hydrogen. This is the third of five articles about DGTL's five pillars of sustainability.
We went from cutting our diesel dependency to 2150 liters in 2019, to using only Biodiesel, to going 100% fossil-fuel-free in 2022 by tapping into the NDSM Wharf’s expanding green grid for over two-thirds of our energy consumption and relying on Greener batteries for the remainder. But it turns out solving the energy issue once is not enough. Each year, we have to rethink our solutions to match the festival’s changing demands, deal with new challenges like net congestion, and advocate for our place on the grid.
Our goal? Covering all the festival’s energy needs with renewable options. And that’s what we’re doing, by choosing local, existing, and sustainable sources, equipment efficiency, and minimizing our overall use of energy and fuel. And by continuously looking for smarter, better, and more sustainable innovations to create a future-proof festival.
On the Grounds
With a smart energy plan, we now calculate the energy needs of every single part of the festival – from stages to food courts – based on detailed lists of materials and equipment used by artists, crew, and partners. For each power zone, we map out who uses how much and when, figure out the peak versus off-peak loads, and then organizing the feed to optimize use and avoid both waste and overload.
Meanwhile, we’re exploring every available renewable source out there, finding out how to best use solar and wind energy, but also hydropower. Hydrogen offers particular benefits for applications that can’t rely on the existing grid or batteries, like high-energy demand operations like our stages and heavy machinery. That’s why we’re collaborating with companies in the construction sector and partners in research and innovation to find the safest, smartest and most viable solution.
Beyond the Fence
Whether you’re on stage, in the crowd, or behind the scenes – we all contribute to making DGTL sustainable. And since a festival pretty much operates like a small city, we hope that what we learn here can be of use beyond the fence. With our hydrogen project, we put new techniques to the test, share knowledge, and work on changing regulations together with our partners in construction and other large-scale events, like SAIL Amsterdam. With partner LV Energy, we’re exploring how we can generate energy through sound waves. In the future, DGTL’s music might just create a closed energy loop where music and the crowd function as our own renewable source. This way, innovative ideas can move forward to potentially benefit both the festival industry and the wider world.
What's Next?
The more we learn, the more we realize we still need to do. And that’s ok. Every edition, together with our partners from all over, we continue to find new and better ways to run the most sustainable party in the world. And with our visitors pitching in more and more, it truly becomes a collaborative effort. Let’s get the crowd moving to the beat while joining us in making a big sustainable impact.
Your Impact
By participating in all of DGTL’s sustainable solutions, and even by simply being part of the crowd, you make a positive impact on the world.
What we’ve been talking about here is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to everything that’s involved in running a completely circular festival. Want to know more about what goes on behind the scenes, year-round? Click on through.
