Willie Nelson Hosts A Solar-Powered Stage at the 2023 Luck Reunion
By Cassie Kloberdanz Lee, CEO, Sound Future
Sound Future is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit leveraging the power of live events as a catalyst for climate innovation.
This article has been reposted with permission from the author (original source link)
Photo Credit: MJ Gautrau / REVERB
Willie Nelson & Luck Presents set a new precedent for climate-conscious festivals in March 2023. The 11th Annual Luck Reunion, a music, art, and food festival held at Luck Ranch outside of Austin, Texas, made history by running its main stage off solar-powered inverters and batteries rather than diesel generators. The festival featured over 30 artists and 11 hours of live performances, resulting in the largest 100% renewably powered festival stage in the US.
Music festivals operate much like other off-grid power applications such as field hospitals, emergency response centers, and remote sporting events. Often held in settings with limited access to grid power, research shows that a multi-day music festival can consume up to 30,000 Megawatts (MW) of electricity, which is equivalent to a small city. Thousands of remote events happen annually and most rely on gas generators as a primary source of power. These generators produce noise, exhaust, and climate change-contributing carbon emissions.
But Willie and the team at Luck Presents wanted to do things differently. After years of discussion, they joined forces with REVERB’s Music Decarbonization Project and the 2023 Luck Reunion set out to pioneer a renewable energy solution for the festival. The team selected Overdrive Energy Solutions to build a set of solar farms – including one that was designed to be walked on – and deploy upgraded solar battery + inverter technology. The result was a quieter, cleaner, and safer festival environment for performers and fans alike.
On June 22, 2023, Sound Future published the technical white paper detailing the specifications + outcomes of the festival. Sound Future evaluates climate innovations, which can take the form of technologies and operations, through the unique lens of value drivers for live events. Our mission is to identify and deploy climate tech that is good for the environment, good for the bottom line, and good for talent. We generate independent, data-driven best practices that accelerate innovation to address the live event industry's biggest sustainability opportunities without compromising the bottom line. Our work is centered around creating a world where gathering does good, and we offer transparent case studies – like our collaboration at Luck Reunion – to help other artists and festivals build a more climate-conscious future.
Good for the Environment
To power the largest renewable energy systems for the Luck Reunion main stage, the team built a solar farm in the form of a ground-mount array to minimize wind loading. The ground-mount array required four people to assemble and the 15 kilowatt (kW) array was sized at 15 feet by ~60 feet. Additional solar panels included a portable set designed to be walked on, folded up for transport, and deployed + stowed by a single person. Essentially a mono-crystalline silicon solar panel in flexible resin, these panels offered additional on-site flexibility for deployment and placement.
The main stage at Luck Reunion was the largest renewably powered festival stage in the US, thanks to the battery technology and solar power inverters used for storing and delivering solar energy. The team chose Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries over the traditional Lithium Ion (Li-ion) batteries because they are more efficient and safer than popular alternatives. LiFePO4 batteries offer a more stable chemistry and a lower risk of overheating. These batteries also don’t contain any cobalt or nickel and have a longer lifespan than Li-ion. At the end of their rated life (80%), LiFePO4 batteries can be reused for utility-scale storage or recycled, reducing e-waste.
Solar-powered inverters also offer more safety features than diesel generators. They operate at lower voltages, allowing for lighter and less hazardous wires. Additionally, they enable the power sources to be decentralized, reducing the weight and volume of the gear and the tripping hazard for the crew and guests. In some cases, the solar batteries can be pre-charged enough to power the entire event, eliminating the need for solar farms and recharging operations.
The Luck Reunion main stage was powered by two POWR2 units in a series, with one supplying the energy to the stage and the other serving as an energy holding tank and a backup in case of emergency. A single unit had enough energy redundancy to supply the main stage (WHQ Stage) while allowing the backup unit to be moved to the solar farm to recharge with solar power at any point during the festival. Together with two additional Overdrive-supplied Victron Solar Controllers, the power banks offered 216kWh and an estimated 92kW of power for WHQ. The system also had contingency plans for scenarios such as bad weather or peak demand. In these cases, the units could also charge from the grid or, in a worst-case scenario, from a diesel generator.
The result was the largest 100% renewably powered festival stage in the US on March 17, 2023. Our whitepaper compared this year’s festival to last year’s, and the result is as follows: the week-long 2023 Luck events eliminated two of the five generators and ~350 gallons of diesel that produced approximately four tons (3.6 metric tonnes) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). This case study illustrates that using solar power is a powerful way to create a more climate-conscious future for live events.
Good for Business
The estimated cost of running the week of events at Luck Ranch, including the Luck Reunion, on renewable energy was slightly higher (~$1,100) than using diesel generators alone. The cost includes hardware rental, consumables, and the rental of diesel generators to supplement + serve as a backup. While the goal of Sound Future is to present solutions that are better for business than traditional operations, there are several caveats to extrapolating these findings for future activations. First, future activations are not likely to require rented diesel generator backup power. Second, it is important to note that, like all climate innovations, the cost of portable renewable energy will go down with economies of scale. Third, costs will be further reduced as more advanced innovations enter the market. Finally, near-term savings are likely as providers learn more about the planning and operations required to execute live events with renewable energy, thereby reducing the need for specialized staff and predicting the quantity and capacity of the hardware necessary to create fail-safe operations.
Good for Talent
Solar-powered batteries and inverters are not only better for the environment, but also for the festival experience. They avoid emissions that harm the atmosphere, unlike offsets that try to compensate for the damage already done. They also reduce noise, eliminate exhaust, and remove the need for hazardous fueling operations. This allows the power units to be more strategically placed to optimize site design and reduce cabling and ramps.
Matt Bizer, Founder & CEO of Luck Reunion notes: “Outside of knowing we are taking steps to lower our carbon footprint, hearing the silence between sets and not having wafts of diesel exhaust blowing onto stage was a welcomed change on its own.”
Accelerating Climate Innovation
Sound Future’s detailed technical report tells the story of how Willie Nelson made history by hosting the largest 100% renewably powered festival stage in the US. While this report represents a relatively small use case for solar power, live events are a highly visible sector and one that can help build trust in renewable energy solutions and normalize their use. In doing so, the aim is to create a competitive market and drive innovation in portable, scalable renewable energy solutions and encourage their adoption for uses ranging from birthday parties to the Olympics to large-scale disaster relief.
We hope this case study, and others like it, are a powerful signal that culture leaders are ready for a fossil-free future for live events.
Bottom Line: If it's good enough for Willie, then it’s good enough for you.
Join us in building a world where Gathering Does Good.
Sound Future is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit leveraging the power of live events as a catalyst for climate innovation.
Connect with Cassie Kloberdanz Lee on LinkedIn here