Good Energy unveils light show for turbine anniversary

Published by

Peter Davison

Delabole wind turbine web

Chippenham-based renewable energy company Good Energy has commissioned renowned artist Luke Jerram to create an experimental light projection at the UK’s first ever wind farm, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

The piece, which features moving images depicting nature, messages to world leaders and audio of children’s voices, was projected onto a wind turbine at Delabole, the birthplace of UK renewables.

Over 150 residents of the village came to see the artwork in and celebrate the anniversary of the wind farm which was originally built by the Edwards family 30 years ago.

Good Energy, which has owned and operated the wind farm since 2002, commissioned the project to inspire world leaders on the eve of the hugely important climate conference.

Nigel Pocklington, CEO of Good Energy, said: “The UK’s journey to net zero started in a small Cornish village back in the 90s.

"The Edwards family were pioneers of a green revolution 30 years ago, at a time when wind power was barely heard of.

"We wanted to mark this anniversary, bring the community together, and send a message to world leaders that the time is now.”

“We’ve come a long way in 30 years, and there is a long way to go to tackle this crisis. Climate change is a huge challenge, but this wind farm shows us that some of the answers are simple and already known.”

Artist Luke Jerram commented: “We all need to do what we can to fight climate change. As an artist I’m hoping my skills in visual communication may be of use.

"The question is, what can you do, to play your part? No matter what skills you have, they’ll be needed in this climate emergency.

“This commission has given me the opportunity to test out new ideas. Some of the imagery we projected is only be visible through long exposure photographs.”

The company, which earlier this year appointed an advisory board of secondary school age students called the Good Future Board, is also sponsoring the 16th UN Climate Change Conference of Youth (COY16) in Glasgow.

It will be hosting a live meeting of its Good Future Board members at the event, which is run by YOUNGO - The Official Youth Constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), on the 30th October.

Last week Good Energy unveiled another of Luke Jerram's installations – a 3.75m diameter version of the earth model Gaia – to float in the middle of its Chippenham headquarters.

Image: Alistair Heap/PA Wire

Peter Davison

Peter Davison is deputy editor of The Business Magazine. He has spent his life in journalism – doing work experience in newsrooms in and around Bristol while still at school, and landing his first job on a local newspaper aged 19. By 28 he was the youngest newspaper editor in the country. An early advocate of online news, he spent the first years of the 2000s telling his bosses that the internet posed both the biggest opportunity and greatest threat to the newspaper industry and the art of journalism. He was right on both counts. Since 2006 he has enjoyed a career as a freelance journalist. He lives in rural Wiltshire with one wife, two children, and three cats.