Central Battery Systems – their importance for the upcoming panto season

Nov 08, 2022

Why are Central Battery Systems so important for the upcoming panto season?

Photo by Michal Pokorný on Unsplash

As we head into the Christmas festivities and panto season, many people will be thinking about booking a show or attending one they have eagerly anticipated for months. 

The last thing on their minds as they enter the auditorium, armed with refreshments, is electrical safety and compliance. Fortunately, this is where HPES’s expertise comes in; we know how vital emergency or backup lighting is, particularly in a venue where several hundred people are seated. 


Theatre emergency lighting 

In theatres, emergency lighting is the illumination provided in the event of an emergency power outage, lighting up escape routes, around exit doors and stairs, as well as safety equipment. It is often derived from a central battery system and associated changeover, control, invertor, and charging equipment.


Common mistakes 

To save electricity, a common mistake theatres make with their central battery system is changing all lamps to low-energy consumption lamps. Unfortunately, this can cause in-rush currents for which the systems aren’t designed, resulting in expensive invertor failures.


So, what are the solutions?

  • Before changing your lamps, ask a specialist such as HPES to survey your system to ensure it is suitable for low-energy lamps.
  • If a central battery system fails, it is a big deal. A show will be cancelled with a loss of income to the production and theatre as well as disappointed audiences. Simply adding a generator connection means theatres can connect the lighting circuits to a generator bypassing any problem with the central battery system, ensuring the performance can continue. HPES has previously worked with theatres to provide generator connections to back up their emergency lighting. We have also assisted them in hiring in and installing self-contained emergency light units.
  • We always advise theatres to have a written method statement so that everyone knows what to do in the event of a central battery system failure. HPES can provide guidance and install suitable connections for emergency backup.


The show will go on…oh yes, it will! 

Time permitting, providing a generator, or hiring a lighting solution can save the show. 

Let your audience become immersed in and enjoy the creative experience they have been looking forward to seeing. You can enjoy the peace of mind that your central battery system is safe, compliant, and up to the job. 


14 Aug, 2023
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