An Interview with Sarah Hall

About Sarah Hall: Sarah Hall studied architectural glass in Canada, the UK and the Middle East before establishing her own studio in Toronto in 1980. Sarah Hall was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada on December 28, 2019. Her work comprises contemporary art glass at an architectural scale. Over the past forty years she has created hundreds of large-scale artworks for public, private, and institutional settings. In the process she has gained international recognition for her creativity, uncompromising artistry, and the innovative use of solar technology in architectural glass. Sarah is also a respected educator and writer in the field of architectural glass.

«A huge benefit was seeing the tower alight at night with energy generated by sunlight alone – what a delight!»

Can you tell me about your background in artistic installations?

I studied Architectural Glass at Swansea College of Art, UK, apprenticed with Lawrence Lee (Glass Master at the Royal College of Art), received my City & Guilds in Architectural Glass, studied Islamic techniques in glass (Jerusalem) for one year, returned to Canada and established my own studio in 1980 creating contemporary work exclusively of my own design. I have created hundreds of architectural glass commissions for secular and sacred space. Throughout my career, I have explored many techniques. In 2019, I was awarded the Order of Canada for my contributions to architectural and environmental glass.

«In the evening, a column of LED’s is illuminated using the stored solar power. This illuminates the artwork, the tower and park at night.»

What is the technology behind the operation of your installation (board/OS/peripherals)?

In this interview I will focus on one installation: Lux Nova, Regent College, UBC (Figure above). This project fits your requirements as sustainable off-grid power solution for immersive art installations. (Some of my other solar projects are grid-tied). Twelve solar panels are integrated into a wind tower which sits above an underground Theology library. The solar glass and art glass are created as thermopanes and collect energy, which is passed first through a controller, then inverter and into battery storage. In the evening, a column of LED’s is illuminated using the stored solar power. This illuminates the artwork, the tower and park at night. The LED column is programed to be a two hour cycle of changing colour. The battery storage system is clearly visible from the library floor by looking up into the tower.

«It was a challenge to bring solar panels together with art glass and have this accepted as an art installation.»

What benefits and challenges have you faced while sourcing electric energy to your installation?

It was a challenge to bring solar panels together with art glass and have this accepted as an art installation. It was the first installation of its kind in North America and there were different safety certifications for the different types of glass. There were none that matched my technology. Eventually the German safety certification CEN was accepted. A huge benefit was seeing the tower alight at night with energy generated by sunlight alone – what a delight!

What factors did you take into consideration while thinking about the positioning of solar panels?

It was important that the panels were facing east and were not shaded - to collect as much energy as possible. None of the cells are obstructed or shaded by the artwork.

«I would say there is not a downtime for the installation. It looks good collecting energy during the day and was specifically designed for both its daytime and nighttime appearance.»

How do you measure energy usage of your installation(s)? How does that relate to the amount of energy produced by the solar panels?

There is a monitor in the Library which shows how much energy is being collected at any given time. The purpose of the solar energy collection is to power the LED column at night – and to showcase solar technology in a beautiful, new way. If less energy has been collected (overcast, rainy days) the LED column is illuminated for less time that night.

How does the electric energy circulate within your installation(s), what kind of storage and connection hardware did you implement?

The energy stored in the battery bank feeds the LED column at night. There are four batteries in the bank.

What is the uptime and downtime for your installation? How does the energy consumption change over time, is it different depending on any other factors?

I would say there is not a downtime for the installation. It looks good collecting energy during the day and was specifically designed for both its daytime and nighttime appearance. The solar energy is collected during the day and used at night (from battery storage). It is seasonally changeable and depends on how many overcast days there are. If there are several in a row the light will only be one for a few hours. The good news is that there has always been some energy to power the LED column. I like the fact it is responding to sunlight in a real way – not “switched on” from the grid.

«I am very excited by the new organic solar products being developed.»

What are the main factors affecting the performance of your installation’s energy sourcing, both positively and negatively? Do you feel there is anything that could be done or investigated in order to neutralise the negative ones?

There is maintenance for the batteries needed so they are easily accessible. The exterior of the glass needs to be cleaned bi-annually. This is easy to do. The only consideration I would change is the proximity of my installation to the School of Engineering at UBC. Engineers love to see if they can damage art on campus. Perhaps engineers can have their own world… somewhere.

One other factor affecting solar installation is the client’s tendency to plant trees near solar installations. I ask them not to - they do not understand trees grow and shade the panels.

Do you have any vision/ideas/thoughts on the future of artistic installations and solar powered solutions as a whole?

I am very excited by the new organic solar products being developed. These dye-sensitive solar surfaces (Oxford Photovoltaics) will be able to be printed in many patterns and offer bird-friendly solar collection glass. What an environmental bonus!

Do you have any other comments, ideas or suggestions that you feel would be vital for this project and for my investigation?

I think it might be interesting to contact Oxford Photovoltaics and see what the state of their research is.