Jett Rebel launches green concert on TU/e campus

August 13, 2024

TU/e innovations like the GEM-Stage and DENS battery set the tone for the first edition of Greenfest.

GEM-Stage on High Tech-campus. Photo: Bart van Overbeeke

On September 21, the TU/e campus will literally and figuratively provide a stage for the new sustainable music event Greenfest. Artist Jett Rebel wants to set a new standard for low CO₂ concerts in the Netherlands. To do so, he collaborates with the TU/e, where the energy-generating GEM-Stage (GEM=Green Energy Mill) and the rechargeable battery of DENS were developed. Both innovations are spin-offs of student teams.

Faas Moonen. Photo: Vincent van den Hoogen

Future vision for the live sector

Large events, such as festivals, consume more electricity than the main grid can provide. As a result, they rely on generators that consume up to 130,000 liters of diesel per event. With the GEM-Stage, this is not necessary. This colorful tower is an energy generator and stage in one. Faas Moonen, associate professor from the Innovative Structural Design group, worked on the stage. “The energy for the performances is provided entirely by the TU/e spin-offs GEM-Stage and DENS. The GEM-Stage runs on solar and wind energy and has a liquid lead battery. DENS provides a mobile and off grid battery system.

Jett Rebel.

Completely off grid

Jett Rebel wants to be an example for other artists: “Greenfest shows that sustainable live music is not only possible, but also has the future. I am enormously proud to be part of this project and am already looking forward to seeing the effects of this with other artists.”

Faas Moonen adds, “With the GEM- Stage and DENS‘ ’PowerHub,' it is possible to run Greenfest completely off-grid. We want to do everything as low carbon as possible, both in front of and behind the scenes and in cooperation with local parties.”

Sustainable all the way

In addition to running the concert entirely on green energy, the GEM-Stage is transported by electric trucks and set up with an electric forklift. Drinks are available only in recyclable cans. The food trucks on site use organic frying oil and serve only vegetarian and vegan dishes. Visitors are motivated to travel by public transportation, which with the convenient location of the TU/e campus next to Eindhoven's (bus) station and the scheduled end time of the concert, is as easy as possible.

European festivals

The GEM-Stage has already made an impression at various European festivals and events in recent years, including Pukkelpop (BE), Eurosonic Noorderslag (NL) and Rock For People (CZ). In a previous collaboration, during the Ocean Race in Denmark, DENS supplied the hydrogen generator, which runs on formic acid, with the GEM-Stage.By connecting the generator to the Stage, there was enough energy to supply the concerts with sufficient power.

On September 21, it's mainly all about the music, with performances by Ciao Lucifer, Friday, and, of course, Jett Rebel himself. There is room for two thousand visitors. For more information and tickets, click the link below.