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Smart supervision of a studio

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- Greener productions for Bavaria Filmstudios

Smart supervision of a studio

A tour of the Bavaria Filmstudios in the southern part of Munich amazes even Hollywood producers who have seen it all. Renewable energy is generated by hydroelectricity and geothermal teleheating, which makes Bavaria Filmstudios one of the first climate-neutral Film/TV studios in the world. The remaining emission output is compensated by supporting a geothermal project in Indonesia. Begun in 2013, the strategy to reduce emissions and to use energy efficiently continues.

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‘By modernizing our facilities, we cut costs and emissions over the course of two years’, explains Thorsten Hoppe, who is in charge of Energy Supplies and Engineering at Bavaria Filmstudios. The lightning scheme of several buildings and studios has been upgraded to LED. Innovative green strategies, such as efficient air-conditioning and teleheating, have proven themselves successful. Many of these measures were tested by ‘Ökoprofit’. This resulted in the City of Munich issuing a first-class environmental certificate for Bavaria. ‘We have already fulfilled many of the criteria that Ökoprofit requires from businesses’, reports Achim Rohnke, CEO of Bavaria Film.

‘With a comprehensive modernization program, we have been upgrading Bavaria Filmstudios to a climate-neutral production site over the last few years. So, we’ve created the conditions for green production. Our goal is to practice resource-saving and eco-conscious thinking. We urge our customers to follow us down the same path.’

The coolant R22, which was withdrawn from the marketplace after the implementation of European CFC Regulation 2015, has been completely eliminated at Bavaria. “We took a chance and invested in an ecological air-conditioning system,” stresses Hoppe. The computer servers are cooled by a central refrigeration supply system that provides cold-water service with free cooling in winter. If the outdoor temperature is sufficiently low, the cooling is done without using any refrigeration device, and is, therefore, CFC-free. The smart supervision of heating insures that the teleheating, which comes from a geothermal source, is used in the circulatory without frictional losses. The basic principle:  Recycling heat in a teleheating network produces lesscarbon dioxide emissions. A hydraulic reconciliation at the transfer stations in the buildings adjusts the return temperature to exactly 50 degree Celsius. ‘This is also economically advantageous because we can exploit the energy content of the heating water more efficiently.’

Studios 2 and 3 have been completely modernized, and they are now live-TV studio complexes. TV shows, such as the long-running crime show Aktenzeichen XY...ungelöst, have made it their home. In 2015, big primetime shows such as Verstehen Sie Spaß and Die große Show der Naturwunder are going on air in Studio 9. The smart supervision of air conditioning adjusts the fresh air intake according to use, so the facility doesn’t have to work at full capacity. And at night, free cooling is enough.

With the introduction of resource-saving technologies, studio productions get greener, too. A carbon calculator will indicate where productions can cut costs and emissions. There is potential for more savings in recycling and waste separation. An electricity generating station was installed in the studio at the beginning of 2014. E-mobility is the new hot topic in Bavaria Filmstudios.

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