The eye-catching wind turbine is 20 metres tall with 8 metre-long blades – the height of 5 large giraffes – and is finished off with Octopus tentacles wrapped around its purple tower and pink blades.
The temporary structure was erected in a day in William’s Green field, near the famous Pyramid stage. The wind turbine was only ordered at the end of April, demonstrating the speed at which we can build new renewables if considerations and connections allow them.
Octopus has also installed solar panels to complement the wind turbine, along with a battery to store the green energy produced.
The wind turbine and solar panels will supply clean energy to a microgrid which will power food vendors in the field so they can serve up snacks made with super low-carbon energy, and is expected to produce up to 300 kWh of energy per day – enough to power 300 fridges.
Octopus Energy has already become the ongoing energy provider to Worthy Farm, providing 100 percent renewable electricity to the iconic dairy farm which hosts the Festival, and together they plan to increase the use of renewable energy in future festivals.
The partners are also working with the Festival’s long-term, temporary power team on site, to explore providing even more sustainable energy to the Festival in future years.
Sustainability has always been at the heart of Glastonbury Festival. The Green Fields area has run on solar, wind and pedal power since 1984, setting a fossil-fuel free standard the Festival work towards implementing across the site.
The Festival has prioritised environmental responsibility by replacing chemical toilets with compost loos; ensuring waste is carefully hand-separated for single stream recycling at its own on-site recycling centre; prohibiting non-compostable serveware; and in 2019, banning the sale of single-use plastic drink bottles on-site.
That same year, Worthy Farm installed an anaerobic digester and biogas plant power to sit alongside its existing solar PV array to help better embrace renewable energy.
“When I met Emily I was immediately struck by so many shared values” said Greg Jackson, Founder and CEO of Octopus Energy Group. “What was planned to be a short meeting went on for hours as we discussed what makes for a better world. I am excited to be able to not only generate green energy at the Festival, but to work together for the long term too.”
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