Music venues can significantly reduce their environmental impact by choosing smarter, cleaner energy sources.
Installing shore power allows touring artists to plug into the venue’s electricity instead of running diesel generators, cutting noise, fuel use, and emissions during load-in and shows.
Adding solar panels helps generate on-site clean energy, lowering utility costs and improving resilience.
Understanding your local grid mix, venues can better track the true greenhouse gas emissions behind their electricity use and make informed decisions about when and how to use renewable power.
Together, these solutions create a more efficient, reliable, and low-carbon venue that supports both artists and the community.
Energy Solutions
Click any button to explore an easy, venue-friendly guide on how to plan and implement each energy solution.
Solar panels are devices installed on your roof or nearby property that capture sunlight and convert it into electricity. For a venue, they provide on-site renewable energy that can power lighting, sound systems, HVAC, and other equipment.
What
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Solar Panels
Why
Solar panels reduce reliance on the grid, lower utility costs, and cut greenhouse gas emissions. They also improve energy resilience, allowing the venue to continue operations during peak demand or temporary outages, while showcasing a commitment to sustainability for artists and audiences.
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Schedule a consultation with a structural and electrical engineer on the capability of your building to incorporate solar panels.
If feasible, consider installing solar panels on your roof or property. The website PVWatts is used to estimate the electricity generation potential of PV panels specific to your building and location in the world.
If solar panels are not feasible for your building, consider reaching out to your local utility provider and ask about their renewable energy purchasing agreement. An example of this is Xcel Energy’s Renewable*Connect.
Shore power allows touring buses, trucks, and trailers to plug into the venue’s electrical system instead of running their onboard diesel generators. This provides the energy needed for lighting, sound, climate control, and other on-board systems while the vehicle is parked at the venue.
What
New Buildings
Shore Power for Tour Busses
Maintenance & Training
Why
Using shore power reduces diesel fuel consumption, cuts greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions, and minimizes noise during load-in and performances. It also protects equipment on touring buses by providing stable, clean electricity, helping artists and crew work safely and comfortably while supporting the venue’s sustainability goals.
Existing Buildings
Review your current electrical system to determine capacity and identify upgrades needed to safely handle shore power connections.
Retrofit with dedicated circuits, outlets, and protective enclosures. Ensure compliance with local electrical codes and safety standards.
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Plan for shore power during design. Work with your electrical engineer to size circuits, outlets, and panel capacity for expected tour bus loads.
Integrate dedicated outlets or hardwired connections into the venue’s design. Include proper signage, protective covers, and easy access near loading areas.
Train staff on safely connecting touring buses, regularly inspect outlets and cables, and coordinate with artists to ensure shore power is used efficiently and reliably.
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How
GHG benchmarking is the process of measuring and tracking a venue’s greenhouse gas emissions, including electricity, fuel, and other energy use. By calculating emissions using tools like eGRID or the EPA Emissions Factor Hub, venues can understand their carbon footprint and identify areas for improvement.
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Compare your emissions over time to identify trends. Set reduction goals, like energy efficiency upgrades, solar panel installation, or shore power adoption. Use benchmarking to inform sustainability planning and communicate results to staff, artists, and audiences.
Greenhouse Gas Benchmarking
Why
Benchmarking GHG emissions helps venues make informed decisions about energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainability initiatives. It allows management to track progress over time, set reduction goals, report emissions to stakeholders, and demonstrate environmental leadership to artists, audiences, and the community.
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Collect electricity, natural gas, diesel, propane, and any other fuel use for the venue over a set period (monthly or annually). Use utility bills, meter readings, and fuel purchase records for accurate activity data.
Electricity: Use your local EPA eGRID region to find the grid-average emissions factor. A grid emissions factor measures how kg of CO₂e is produced per MWh of electricity generated in a given region.
Fuels & Other Sources: Use the EPA Emissions Factor Hub to find CO₂e factors for natural gas, diesel, and other fuels. This allows you to convert energy use into equivalent greenhouse gas emissions.
For electricity, convert eGRID factors from kg/MWh to kg/kWh if needed. Sum emissions from all energy sources to get total GHG emissions.