Kilmarnock South Commissioning
Discover how Zenobē’s Portable Power team used commissioning experience and battery expertise to develop an alternative solution to traditional commissioning.
Netflix's The Crown
Bringing low-carbon power to one of Netflix's biggest productions
707 litres
of diesel saved
1,908kg
of CO2 emissions saved
Netflix’s epic royal drama, The Crown, is one of the largest scale productions by the streaming giant. In March 2023, filming of the sixth and final instalment of the series was made significantly easier and more energy efficient thanks to a collaboration between Zenobē and its second life battery solution and E-Vis Energy, a clean energy solutions provider to the film, TV and events sector. The project took place on location in England with one Zenobē Powerskid being placed on the production set to power lighting during filming. The Powerskid, a portable power source made from former electric vehicle batteries, was used in two ways: on one site it replaced a 150kVa diesel generator, then on a second site it was used in a hybrid system, with a 250kVa generator.
The challenge
The primary challenge faced on the production set was the over reliance on traditional diesel generators for powering set lighting. Generators consume a significant amount of costly diesel and contribute to noise pollution and emissions. Therefore, the challenge was to find and implement an alternative solution that could tackle these issues while ensuring a reliable power supply was maintained for the production set.
The solution
Zenobē provided a Powerskid, a clean, portable power solution, for the production set. The Powerskid delivered two key purposes during filming.
Case 1: on the first set, the Powerskid replaced a 150kVa generator powering the lighting and trickle charging from a small grid supply. This meant there was no need for a traditional generator, eliminating diesel consumption and emissions. Additionally, the Powerskid is completely silent when in operation, a welcome feature on film sets when silence is required.
Case 2: the Powerskid was then moved to a second set, where it was linked with a 250kVa generator. This hybrid configuration allows the traditional generators to run far more efficiently. Previously, the generator would have run constantly throughout the filming schedule, even when little or no power was being used. Instead, the Powerskid integration provided a significant reduction in generator runtime and further decreased fuel consumption for the production.
The outcome
Using the Powerskid, both as a replacement for the generator and in the hybrid system, resulted in substantial fuel savings. Its integration into the production set significantly reduced the overall carbon emissions and noise pollution associated with traditional generators. The Powerskid saved 707 litres of diesel/bio-diesel and avoided 1,908kg of CO2 emissions from entering the atmosphere.
The integration of the portable second life battery into the production delivered on four key areas for E-Vis and the production: reduced fuel consumption, whether replacing the traditional generator or combining with one in a hybrid system; lower carbon emissions, aligning with the production’s sustainability goals; noise reduction, creating a more pleasant working environment for the crew and enhancing overall productivity; and flexibility, with the same Powerskid unit moved from one set to another and reconfigured rather than swapped out for a different type.
This collaboration between Zenobē and E-Vis Energy on The Crown successfully addressed the challenge of powering the rural location of the production set, while delivering on key environmental and sustainability targets including the reduction of fuel consumption, carbon emissions, and noise pollution. Zenobē is certified as a sustainable supplier by albert, the industry leading body that encourages the TV and film production industry to reduce waste and its carbon footprint.
“We worked closely with the lighting department to design a system where the battery could eliminate as much generator use as possible, whilst maintaining a stable power supply. A bonus advantage in a hybrid situation is that there are two power sources where one can act as a UPS (uninterrupted power source). Working with the Powerskid has proven to be incredibly versatile in its use cases and its application on The Crown demonstrated this.”
Dom Aronin
E-Vis Energy
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