Opera House slashes energy bills by 75% with efficient lighting

The Concert Hall in the Sydney Opera House has received a major upgrade, improving the venue experience whilst also significantly cutting power bills by around 75 per cent.

Over the last two years, some 355 custom-made LED lights, which have a life-span of 50,000 hours each, have been installed, meaning 2,000 fewer lightbulbs are expected to be used each year.

The new long life, LED technology includes a new control system for the stage, auditorium and performance lighting. This will also result in a 75% reduction in electricity consumption, with estimated savings of about $70,000 a year.

The new lights are not just cooler in the one sense of the word, with the removal of almost 4 tonnes of air condition ducting to take place as a result of the cooler lamps.

Sydney Opera House CEO Louise Herron AM said:  “Our mission says everything we do should engage and inspire people. That should be just as true of our sustainability initiatives as of the performances we present.

“The Concert Hall lighting upgrade is an excellent example of how we can renew the Opera House to meet the needs and expectations of 21st-century artists, audiences and the broader community.”

Technical manager Philby Lewis told the ABC they were not trying to turn the space into a “disco” or a “nightclub”.

“But we can if we want to,” he said.

The project also only just last week won the Heritage Buildings category for Excellence in Sustainability at the NSW Government’s Green Glove Awards.