Clubbers’ dancing powers club’s electricity

Clubbers’ dancing powers club’s electricity

29 July, 2008 | 6.36AM

• Section: Music News Topics: Beatport Blog
• Written by: Terry Church

Whilst the world has become more conscious about climate change and global warming, the electronic music community has remained comparatively silent about its contribution to energy conservation.

A few high profile DJs have pledged their support for carbon offsetting schemes including Richie Hawtin and trance trio Above & Beyond (no doubt the moral incentive was guilt for taking so many flights each year to gigs), but precious little has been done on the nightclub front.

Until now. The opening of Surya nightclub in London last month marks a bold new era in environmental responsibility.

At the heart of Surya in Kings Cross, is a piezoelectric dancefloor that utilizes the kinetic energy created by dancing clubbers and converts it into electricity.

Underneath the dancefloor are springs and a series of power generating blocks made from quartz crystals and ceramics.

The blocks produce a small electric current when squashed, which is fed into nearby batteries.

The batteries are constantly recharged by clubbers throughout a night, and the electricity produced is used to power the club’s lights, soundsystem and more.

Amazingly Surya’s owners believe that up to 60% of the club’s electricity needs will be powered by the piezoelectric dancefloor.

The rest of the power needed for Surya will come from a wind turbine and solar energy system, with any surplus will be shared with private homes in the area.

Water conservation is being promoted too, through the latest air flush toilets, waterless urinals and automatic taps.

The club will also reward free entry to any punters who can prove that they cycled or walked to the venue, and clubbers are being asked to sign a 10 point manifesto upon entry.

Surya has gone a lot further than most ‘green-friendly’ clubs in ensuring its enviromental impact is minimal, and its owners should be commended for their committed policies.

But it’s a shame they didn’t have the foresight to utilize the piezoelectric dancefloor to create an immersive dancing experience.

Surely it wouldn’t have been much more work to make a visual representation of the power created on the dancefloor at any one time.

A giant LED equalizer for instance could have been used to show how much electricity was being powered by clubbers, encouraging the dancers to dance that little bit harder.

Then the harder the clubbers dance, the more intense the screen (or club lighting) gets.

That would make the club experience much more interactive, with every participant capable of producing a little bit of light.

It would also make one person’s environmental impact clearly visible, which is often the problem with recycling, carbon offsetting and green initiatives - the reward for caring is often too distant to encourage participation.

If man can dream it, it is possible.

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