Saturday September 7 2024
Swindon & Wiltshire News
The Eden Project is teaming up with its new power supplier – Chippenham-based Good Energy – to help visitors understand how their energy use affects the environment.
Eden is now supplied by Good Energy, which gets all of its electricity from renewable sources, including Delabole Wind Farm, Cornwall and the UK’s first commercial wind farm.
All Good Energy’s electricity comes from local, natural sources like sunshine, wind and rain and the company is seen as the perfect match by Eden Project.
Together with Good Energy, Eden aims to engage and inspire people to reconnect with where the energy they use comes from.
The two organisations are hoping to be able to offer a fun learning programme to visitors which could include energy-themed exhibitions and displays, workshops, and short courses.
David Harland, executive director of the Eden Project, said: “We’re very proud to say that all the electricity we use at Eden now comes from renewable sources. It’s great to be working with our friends at Good Energy, a company that is in tune with Eden and has an excellent record of working with renewable projects in Cornwall.
“We also hope to work closely with Good Energy on a variety of educational projects for our visitors, to help demystify the world of energy and help people make their homes more efficient.”
Good Energy founder and chief executive Juliet Davenport said: “There are some real similarities with how we’re both trying to bring people closer to where their energy comes from, and how Eden is bringing people closer to where their food comes from. We both want to show that looking after nature is really important to our everyday lives.
“Just like Eden we want to inspire people to go on a journey of discovery about the kind of society we want to live. In a changing world, we need imagination and enterprise; we need to foster our skills and talents; we need communities to get engaged in inventing new, more sustainable ways of living together.”
Good Energy owns Delabole Wind Farm which it re-powered at a cost of £11.8m in 2010 and is proud of its rich history in South West. The company has over 1,600 customers in the county.
“We wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for Cornwall”, said Juliet. “We purchase renewable energy from generators all over the country, but it all started with our very first power purchase agreement with Delabole back in 1999.
“Now we have renewable energy projects in Cornwall producing enough electricity to supply nearly 7,000 homes, and are developing sites that could produce enough for around 20,000 more.”
“We can’t wait to start engaging people here in energy and climate issues through fun experiences with our friends at Eden.”
