A bite of German sausage, a glug of mulled wine and a stumble around the pop-up skating rink – Christmas markets are now a staple of Britain’s festival celebrations.
And they need enough electricity to power a good-sized city.
Temporary power generators play a vital role in the success of Christmas markets the length and breadth of the country, and new generator technology available from Star Power means they can become more sustainable than ever before.
Festival markets are multiplying and growing bigger than ever – they are so popular, tour operators offer flights around holidays around Europe to go the most famous of them.
Birmingham’s Christmas market is credited with pulling in an extra 5.5 million visitors to the city.
Emission standards
Temporary power solutions are among the most urgent issues to get right if such events are to run smoothly and succeed, says Star Power’s Head of Power, Paul Ridley.
“Mobile generators are used to power everything at a Christmas market from fryers on food stands, to the refrigeration systems that create the temporary ice rinks, to the ever more impressive lighting displays.
“And with many communities, notably large cities, demanding the highest emissions standards, the pressure is on to source temporary power solutions that are both cost-effective and have the smallest possible carbon footprints.”
Star Power is a temporary power solutions specialist with the capability and capacity to provide full service and bespoke generator hire and support on planned and reactive basis anywhere in the UK.
Critical power issues
Festival event and Christmas market organisers need to consider a range of technical challenges when selecting the right temporary power solutions for their events, said Paul Ridley.
Here are 4 critical issues all Christmas Market event organisers must consider:
- Having enough power, but not too much. A common mistake is to hire in too much power capacity with too many generators or generators with capacities that are too high. This just adds unnecessary costs and can greatly increase an event’s carbon footprint.
- Position your generators correctly. Placing generators where they can be safely and easily refuelled during a long-running event is clearly important. But mistakes can be made, causing problems for event staff and visitors.
- Maintenance support is critical. If a generator develops a fault, or runs out of fuel, an event can be jeopardised, creating serious reputation and financial risks. Costs associated with maintenance, for example if an emergency call-out is needed, also have to be clearly understood.
- Meet emissions restrictions and sustainability promises. Regulatory requirements and reputational risks need to be considered. More Christmas market organizers are hiring in low-emissions Stage V generators – or switching to hybrid generator and battery systems, as a result.
Hybrid generators
Paul Ridley said: “The sustainability of festive events is of growing concern, not least because their popularity continues to soar. The sort of hybrid systems we offer at Star Power are an excellent response to this challenge.
“We can provide a low-noise, low-emissions generator that has a built in battery pack, or a generator that can be paired with a battery, or series of batteries.
“Then power is delivered through the batteries, which are topped up regularly by the generator. This means the generator is only working when it needs to and at optimum capacity. So, power is generated most efficiently, with the lowest emissions and least cost.”
Star Power – the benefits
Other key advantages for Christmas market and events organisers have working with Star Power include:
- Access to the UK’s most modern generator hire fleet, which is made up primarily of highly capable JCB generators, which are formatted for the events and entertainments industries.
- The latest Stage V generators that have the capability to reduce emissions, and so an event’s carbon footprint, to its lowest levels.
- An end-to-end service – with expert advice on temporary power specifications, site power planning, generator delivery, electrical connection service, and 24hr refuelling, maintenance and breakdown response.
- Advanced telemetry systems for remote monitoring of generator performance and fault alerts – so potential problems can be identified and responded to often before organisers are aware of them.
- A national service – with a growing number of Christmas markets being organised by national and international events specialists, Star Power can provide an integrated, highly efficient service, supporting multiple sites across the UK.
Comprehensive range
Star Power offers a comprehensive range of modern and highly effective generators. They include 100kVA generators commonly ordered by event organisers, such as the 107.9kVA JCB fuel optimised silent diesel generator.
Another option would be the JCB G100RS V generator, a stage V unit which meets the latest EU emissions standards. Both of these can be paired with Star Power battery systems, including the JCB 1.5QE lithium-ion power pack.
Peace of mind
Paul Ridley said: “We find a key consideration for our temporary power clients is peace of mind. This is a highly technical and business critical service, so not having to worry about the service provider, so energies can be focussed on maximising visitor delight, is very attractive.
“That is what Star Power seeks to deliver, every time. In that sense, we’re a bit like Father Christmas. You can rely on us to turn up and do our job. But in most cases, you would never know we’d been there.”
Find out more
Are you organising a Christmas market? Star Power has national coverage for generator hire and can support Christmas markets and seasonal events of all shapes and sizes.
Talk to our expert team today about powering up your festival celebrations. Telephone 03300 535622. Email: hire@star-power.co.uk.