(Sweden) – In line with UN Summit’s seventeen global sustainability objectives, light festival and workshop continues pursuit of greener world.

With environmental issues increasingly in the spotlight, Swedish light festival and workshop Lights in Alingsås has announced that it will continue to make sure its activities will remain environmentally friendly, checking against a requirements list to ensure the event is awarded a diploma.

“We have worked with environmental issues associated with this event for several years, and as the world’s heads of state and governments adopted seventeen global sustainability objectives during the UN Summit last year, the issue is even more in focus,’’ said Margaretha Stenmark. Stenmark is Workshop Manager of Lights in Alingsås, although she usually works for Alingsås Energi. Lights in Alingsås wants to help make the world a greener place, from both a global and local perspective.

Fredrik Wizemann, the Environmental Officer for Lights in Alingsås, is also from Alingsås Energi, and it is his job to ensure that the event complies with environmental requirements so it can be awarded the diploma. Wizemann uses a practical check list, where at least 75% of the environmental requirements listed must be met.

“The environmental certificate proves that we don’t just, ‘talk the talk’, but also ‘walk the walk’. In other words, we do what we say. This will benefit the light festival and give us credibility,’’ added Wizemann.

Approximately one month before the event takes place the check lists will be inspected by an external body, and compared with is found in real-life. The diploma will be awarded after the inspection has been carried out and any discrepancies have been put right.

“The diploma is a way of managing the festival’s environmental issues. It means that the event must meet basic environmental regulations and in addition show that we are actively working with environmental questions,’’ said Wizemann.

During the festival workshop, all participants will get a deeper understanding of environmental issues and a greater focus on the problems involved. Issues involve food and housing, the use of materials and choice of locations, as well as energy usage. Throughout the festival period, visitors will be exposed to environmental thinking in different contexts.

“Our visitors will receive more information and perhaps see more clearly how they can contribute to sustainable development, for example through their choice of refreshments and food before or after their tours,’’ said Angelica Larsson, Event Manager, Lights in Alingsås. “We will also work to ensure that visitors become more aware of recycling, and that the public is also informed about the seventeen international sustainable development goals.’’

In connection with the focus on the environmental diploma, the team are taking the chance to strengthen the technical team behind the Lights in Alingsås festival. Over the years, lighting installations have become increasingly more complex and the event has generally become more technically advanced. The control of the lighting installations along the light trail for example, requires special skills.

“When we started, few installations were computer-controlled, but nowadays sound and light controls are found at all the sites. There has been a weakness on the maintenance side, but now we can hopefully handle any issues and make necessary software adjustments in good time,’’ said Stenmark.

In order to avoid technical problems and ensure that visitors receive the full benefits of sound and light installations, the technical team is also being strengthened by the addition of Jan Simon, from JS Light. Simon has experience of lighting large scale events, such as Gothenburg City Christmas lights and several museums. And he has been to Alingsås previously as he was involved in training programmes in the first years of the festival in the 1990s, and also in the lighting of Alingsås Museum.

“It’s great to be back,’’ said Simon. “Lights in Alingsås is mostly about the people that work with the event – that’s what makes it fun to be here. And it is such an intense experience – it is one big happening!’’

During the lighting festival, Simon will act as Control Manager, which means that he coordinates the lighting programmers. Simon’s role is also to ensure that the control units are installed safely.

In order for the festival to remain on the cutting edge of technology, the equipment that sponsors provide Lights in Alingsås with is vital. One of the sponsors is the Stockholm Lighting Company AB, which lends lighting fixtures and control systems during the event. They also have two or three technicians in place during the workshop week who assemble, set up and programme all the installations. Stockholm Lighting Company AB will also hold a lecture on the DMX lighting control system for all participants.

“The latest trends include dynamic white light, so-called Human Centric Lighting, and smart new control systems that allow lighting to adapt itself to needs and conditions. In future, control systems that allow us to use the right light at the right time, opportunities to use different and fewer lights, and using lighting variables of color temperature in a simpler way, are all becoming increasingly important,’’ said Lina Strömmer, CEO of Stockholm Lighting Company AB.

For the ninth year in a row, Traxon will also sponsor Lights in Alingsås, providing fittings, control equipment and staff during the workshop week – as well as giving a lecture to students on lighting.

“I think intelligent usage and linkage to other services, especially in public lighting, is one future topic, in addition to the biological impact of light as examined in Human Centric Light Concepts. In this context the usage of natural light through daylight systems has a special role,’’ concluded Rogier Hengeveld, Customer Project Manager Lighting, Traxon.

Technology sponsors so far 2016:
Stockholm Lighting AB, Fergin Sweden AB, Traxon Technologies/Osram, Willy Meyer + Sohn GmbH+Co. KG

Lights in Alingsås runs from 30 September to 6 November 2016.

Read more:
www.lightsinalingsas.se
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lightsinalingsas
Instagram: instagram.com/lightsinalingsas