Solar panels are replacing diesel generators on some major film sets in South Africa, as streaming giants come under increasing pressure to clean up one of the film industry's dirtiest habits – diesel generator addiction.
Netflix shoots second season of its hit show a piece In Cape Town, it is the largest production to date in Africa and the first to be filmed using a solar-powered base camp for off-grid electricity during shooting.
“What we've shown here is that productions don't need to rely on diesel to achieve reliability at scale. There are clean, quiet solutions that integrate seamlessly into how on-location film productions already operate,” said Abe Cambridge, co-founder of Synergy Mobile Power, a South African company that provides green energy on set.
His company used clean mobile energy systems at production sites, including a 400 kilowatt-hour battery system paired with 150 kilowatts of solar power at a Cape Town film studio – enough to power 40 average European homes.
Off-site construction and operations were powered by 60 kilowatts of solar power. Overall, Synergy said, the system saved production. a piece 93 tons CO2 Emissions, approximately the same as 30 return flights between London and Cape Town.
The film industry generally uses diesel-powered production to account for the vast energy needs required for each production, especially on location.
RMI, a US think tank focused on the energy transition, said diesel generators contribute about 15% of the emissions from most film and TV productions – an estimated 700 000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
But due to the pressure on big businesses to go green, and the marketing impact they get from doing so, Netflix and Disney are among a growing number of film and television companies that have publicly pledged to cut emissions in half by 2030.
Netflix's most recent environmental, social and governance report revealed that the streaming service's main source of emissions, about 41 percent in 2024, comes from the production of films and series.
“Beginning in 2023, all scripted productions we directly manage will involve some form of clean mobile power,” Netflix said in an emailed response to questions.
“In places like South Africa where cleantech is not available everywhere, we are achieving industry firsts such as a piece“Where our investments in solar energy have led to new innovations, such as creating a solar-powered battery hybrid system that combines solar panels and batteries to power base camps,” the company said.
Britain's ITV has also worked in South Africa, with Synergy providing clean electricity for the current season i'm a celebrity get me out of hereFilmed near the iconic wildlife sanctuary of Kruger National Park.
“We were able to significantly reduce our fuel usage to fuel-free with Synergy’s solar and battery solutions and help protect a beautiful part of the world in the process,” said Phil Holdgate, head of production sustainability at ITV Studios.
He said that while the company could still employ generators as backup, “our ambition is to always be fuel-free.”
Rapidly rising oil prices as a result of the conflict in the Middle East have added additional impetus.
“Producing your own electricity from the sun offers some protection from fuel market volatility, such as price shocks and availability issues,” Holdgate said.
Nevertheless, Cambridge acknowledged that there were logistical challenges when filming in more remote locations in Africa.
One type of battery weighs nine tons and needs to be transported by crane. But once it reaches the base camp, it can be used there for at least a month. The second is on a completely mobile trailer.
Cambridge said that when the global film industry gives statistics on how it has incorporated clean electricity on set, they often mean connecting diesel generators to batteries.
It can be efficient, reducing the use of dirty fuel and is something his company also uses sometimes. However, “then we use solar energy in the energy mix, and that reduces or completely eliminates the need for a diesel generator to charge your batteries,” he said.
Large-scale international productions can afford clean technology, but the cost is a barrier for smaller-budget films, said Marissa Sonneman-Turner, chief operating officer of Film Africa, a local production company that works with Netflix. a piece.
Transportation remains a major hurdle, he said, because “the supply of clean mobile power solutions and low-carbon vehicles is limited.”
Air travel is also unavoidable on international productions, although larger companies often compensate for this with carbon credits.
The technology used on the green set is also mainly imported, with solar panels purchased from China.
Nevertheless, according to figures provided by Film Africa, South Africa's film industry contributes between R3.5 billion ($211 million) and R5.4 billion to the economy and supports up to 12,000 jobs.
Turning to clean energy to power the film industry could help South Africa remain a competitive production location.
Zizipho Zikhali, operations manager of Greenset, part of the South African Film Academy, said all of this was completely new to the country's film business.
“As recently as 2023, if a production had asked whether large-scale diesel generators could be replaced with clean mobile power, the answer would be no,” Zikhali said.