ENERGY

Use these guidelines when deciding on how to power your work

• Does your piece need to be powered by electricity?

• Can your piece be powered by an eco-friendly energy supplier?

• Can you use second hand or recycled electronics in your piece?

• Can you use local companies to supply your components?

• Write down every electronic component you will be using in your piece and its power consumption. Look at the total amount of power consumed, would you like to reduce this power consumption further?

• Can you change any of the components for lower power consuming ones and not damage the concept or aesthetic of the work? For example, one colour LED tape consumes approx 4 watts per metre whereas RGB LED tape consumes approx 14.4 watts per metre. A computer's power consumption is much higher than that of a micro-controller, can you run your project with an Arduino or Raspberry Pi instead of a desktop or laptop?

• See more information about component choices in the conservation section this will also help to inform your choices. 

Being creative with your power needs

Now that you have your list of components and have reduced them to the lowest possible consumption devices to make the piece run as you have envisioned, you can now take the total wattage and think about how to creatively power your piece.
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• If you can program an IDLE MODE into your piece that will put the artwork to sleep when there is not anyone around to view it. This will not only save on energy consumption but will also help to protect the components in the piece, so less repairs.

• Is it possible to integrate solar panels into the structure?

• Is it possible to incorporate a wind generator?

• Is it possible to use a dynamo or generator?

• Can you use the audiences participation to generate the energy needed to power the piece? Bicycles, hand turning, weight, pressure.

• Can you use the weight of the structure itself to generate the power it needs to run, by suspending it and lowering it from a height over the course of the exhibition?

• Can you use gases or compost to create energy?