Southwestern University: Theater Sustainability and LED Technology

As Southwestern University begins to focus on improving its carbon footprint, faculty and students join together to research alternative energy resources and the fast pace technological world of lighting. Using Heather Hall as a research laboratory, the LED group is slowly developing a energy conservation plan for theatrical environments on campus and creating a course to further study “going green.”

Congratulations to Kira McEntire for receiving a 2010-2011 King’s Creativity Grant for research on Solar Panel Technology!

Congratulations to Sarah Puffer and John Ore for receiving a 2011 SEED Grant for research on Theatrical LED Fixtures!

Main focus areas of the LED group include:

Research the correct way to conduct an energy audit of Heather Hall
effectively design an energy monitoring program based on the aforementioned energy audit
Research and create a solar array to produce enough energy to support the current and estimated energy consumption of Heather Hall
Research and create a wind array to supplement solar panels and aide in producing green energy
Design a realistic LED lighting plan based on instrument efficiency and begin to implement instruments in the current black box location
Build a class around the LED group’s current research and goals that will be initiated into the Summer 2011 course catalog as both theater and science related
Continue to use our interest in saving energy to improve Southwestern’s Carbon Footprint and motivate others to become aware of energy conservation today!

LED News

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