Written by Kianna Best on May 12, 2023. Posted in General Interest

The Bottle Yard’s TBY2 facility receives Studio Sustainability Standard

TBY2, The Bottle Yard’s facility in Bristol has become one of the first studios to be awarded the new Studio Sustainability Standard by BAFTA albert. Judged amongst 12 participants, the facility was the second highest scoring. The impressive solar array and overall approach to sustainability has also led to TBY2’s 2023 Global Production Award nomination.

Laura Aviles, Senior Film Manager (Bristol City Council), says: We’re extremely proud that The Bottle Yard’s TBY2 facility has received its Studio Sustainability Standard,” commented Bristol City Council senior film manager Laura Aviles. “Coming second in class is also very rewarding considering the high calibre of participants. By placing sustainability at the heart of our expansion and working with Bristol Energy Cooperative and Bristol Council’s Energy Services team, we were able to achieve our ambitious vision of a state of the art, solar powered studio. The exciting thing about the community ownership model is that it is entirely replicable and brings direct benefits to the local area as well as our production clients. We hope TBY2 will inspire other projects and will be happy to share knowledge  with others in the UK film industry and beyond We look forward to continuing to improve studio sustainability across our sites going forward.”

The more than 2,300 panels of TBY2’s solar array were part funded by community owned enterprise Bristol Energy Cooperative (BEC), and is thought to be able to generate enough energy to power more than 250 average households per year. TBY2 launched last year with all intentions of keeping sustainability at the forefront of their business model. With the 1MWp (Megawatt Peak) rooftop solar array, they are believed to have one of the largest in the UK as well as having on of the biggest the biggest photovoltaic (PV) system in the UK studios sector. Up against 12 participants up for the new Studio Sustainability Standard, the Bristol based facility received the second highest score as well as being one of five to garner a “Very Good Rating”.

“Congratulations to all the studios who have participated in the first year of the Studio Sustainability Standard,” commented Steve Smith, project lead for the Studio Sustainability Standard. “You are part of an elite group of 12 studios demonstrating your commitment to tackling the climate emergency by getting to Net Zero as quickly as possible. It’s been inspiring to see so many initiatives already under way to help make the screen sector a zero carbon, zero waste industry. At albert, we look forward to supporting you on your net zero journeys and we hope other studios will see the value of joining the standard this year.”

Keeping the community interconnected with their business, the energy that is produced at TBY2 will be used to power the facility, with surplus energy to be utilised through the Bristol City Leap Sleeved Pool electricity supply model. This will not only reduce energy consumption from non-renewables, but BEC’s community ownership model will provide a return to its investors as well as directing surplus revenues back to the local community through grants and investments into local energy projects.

Carys Taylor, director of BAFTA albert, added: “The expertise and quality of UK studios make them among the most in demand in the world. Now, as participants in the albert Studio Sustainability Standard, they're on a path to being the most sustainable in the world too. The release of the new Stud io Sustainability Standard ratings badges will allow studios to show off the progress they've already made and benchmark the progress yet to come. And productions will know where to go to get support for their own sustainability missions."

Images courtesy of The Bottle Yard Studio