- Title: Sun and wind powers mini 'Eiffel Tower' at Belgian music festival
- Date: 16th August 2019
- Summary: MOONEN OPENING THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT CONNECTORS ON GENERATOR'S BATTERY ELECTRIC CABLE CONNECTING GENERATOR WITH TENT 46-YEAR-OLD FESTIVAL-GOER AND IT MANAGER FROM THE HAGUE, MERIJN BACKX, LOOKING AT GENERATOR, ENTERING HIS TENT BACKX CONNECTING HIS MOBILE PHONE CHARGER TO THE PLUG (SOUNDBITE) (English) 46-YEAR-OLD FESTIVAL-GOER AND IT MANAGER FROM THE HAGUE, MERIJN BACKX, SAYING: "It definitely means something for me. I am staying here with my family in this tent. I realised today that all the energy is coming through in a sustainable way and I have never seen a solution before that combines wind and solar energy in such a creative way. That's actually fun to look at as well so I think it's really promising." PEOPLE SEATED BY POWER GENERATING TOWER (SOUNDBITE) (English) 23-YEAR-OLD FESTIVAL-GOER AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION STUDENT FROM ANTWERP, JULIE VAN MOSSEVELDE, SAYING: "It's perfect that they use wind and solar (energy) together there because it's a big surface and there's a lot of tents they have to provide energy for so I think it's an amazing initiative."
- Embargoed: 30th August 2019 16:59
- Keywords: power generator Belgium Pukkelpop festival solar energy wind power renewable energy
- Location: HASSELT, BELGIUM
- City: HASSELT, BELGIUM
- Country: Belgium
- Topics: Environment
- Reuters ID: LVA003ASGXKYJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A 21-metre-high (69 ft.) power-generating 'Eiffel Tower' became an eye-catching feature at Belgium's Pukkelpop music festival, which opened on Thursday (August 15).
Erected to offer a sustainable alternative to polluting diesel generators so that concert goers can charge their electronic devices, the tower combines 20 square meters of coloured solar panels, a 700 kilogram wind turbine and a 90-kilowatt-hour battery
The project was developed by a professor at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), who spent five years working on the EU-sponsored project.
Dubbed the 'Green Energy Mill' by its creator Faas Moonen, the generator was designed to provide a full charge to 6,000 mobile phones and power to 100 tents at the festival, where the new structure was met with enthusiasm.
One festival-goer called the project an "amazing initiative", while another said he'd "never seen a solution before that combines wind and solar energy in such a creative way."
Pukkelpop spokesman Frederik Luyten said the tower was a great way to create awareness on renewable energies among festival-goers.
One of the best known music festivals in Belgium with a capacity of 66,000 visitors per day, the 34th edition of the sold-out festival is expected to attract mainly young people with 198 artists including Billie Eilish, The National, James Blake, Eels, Tame Impala and Franz Ferdinand.
(Production: Christian Levaux, Clement Rossignol) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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