Solar Cinema: The Groovy Movie Picture House
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.24.07
Even in this age of DVDs and movies on iPods, there is nothing like the collective experience of sharing a movie. In the UK, it's a moveable treat: The Groovy Movie Picture House is a 45 foot diameter portable cinema, "with full blackout lining, a coconut matting floor, providing a cosy venue for daytime or night time screenings for audiences of over 150." Now they have gone solar: "All of our power requirements are provided by eight large, highly visible solar panels, which charge a large battery bank, providing electricity for screenings during bad weather." It is "an exciting demonstration of green technology in action!"
From the website:
We began the project as a reaction to the complete lack of provision for screening independent and underground film at arts festivals. Over the years we have built the venue into a fully featured, high quality mobile cinema, which tours a wide range of outdoor events around the UK and Europe. We are dedicated to promoting the work of film makers at all levels, and have inspired many potential filmmakers to have a go. Our cinema is quirky, cosy, comfortable, informal, intimate and friendly. We provide the ideal space to road test films in front of a receptive festival audience - including many who would not necessarily attend film festivals.
We all have a background in environmental activism, and the cinema is partly a continuation of this. From the beginning we have been 100% Solar Powered, generating all our electrical need with a large bank of solar panels. This, we hope provides a clear message to our audiences that Solar electricity is a viable option. Big, bright, exciting things can be achieved with small amounts of power and a little thought. By coincidence we have also discovered that solar energy is the ideal power source for a mobile cinema, giving us the freedom to set up anywhere, without the distraction of a noisy generator.
The Groovy Movie Picture House operates within a beautiful custom built, blackout marquee, so we can screen in the day or at night. We can comfortably accommodate up to 200 people - or squeeze in 250+ when we have a party. During the day our panels charge a large battery bank, which provides up to 20 hours worth of reserve power for use at night or in bad weather. All of our equipment has been chosen for energy efficiency, without compromising quality at any level.
Technical details here; ::Solar Cinema
It would be a lot cooler if they used the sun during day shows as the light source for the projector.
With a parabolic reflector or Fresnel lenses, they probably could do that.