Home of Winchcombe meteorite made sustainable by collaboration
Three Cheltenham organisations have teamed up to improve the energy efficiency of Winchcombe Museum. that houses the UK's most important meteorite.
The 4.6 billion-year-old meteorite fell to earth in February 2021, landing on the driveway of the Wilcock family in Winchcombe.
It was the first one found in Britain since 1991.
Now, Duracell Energy, CME Contractors and the Winchcombe Town Trust have teamed up to improve the energy efficiency of the meteorite's home, Winchcombe Museum, after a successful funding application.
The £4,999 grant from the Greener Gloucestershire Climate Change Fund was awarded to the Winchcombe Town Trust to support the museum with energy security and a sustainable future. Toddington-based Puredrive Energy, who are a Duracell authorised licensee, manufacture and sell Duracell Energy’s home ecosystem of solar and battery solutions.  Â
The new system consists of a pair of Duracell 5+ storage batteries, which are part of the Duracell Energy home ecosystem, alongside a solar inverter, and 17 solar PV panels that were installed on the southwest side of the Museum’s roof. The historic building will now be able to store electricity generated by the solar panels, allowing the listed building to produce and store self-generated renewable energy. The Museum will also be capable of selling unused electricity back to the grid.
The installation was carried out by local solar installer CME contractors and demonstrates an example of local businesses coming together to secure the Museum’s future for years to come.
This collaborative approach demonstrates the possibilities for similar rural towns to support their own historic listed buildings, using the latest technological advancements to cut costs and lower carbon emissions.
Due to its locality, solar and battery producer, Duracell Energy presented a bespoke certificate to trustees of the Museum and the Winchcombe Town Trust which celebrates the collaboration of Gloucestershire-based organisations. There will also be informative leaflets on display for visitors to learn more about adopting energy solutions into their own homes to lower their bills and cut carbon emissions.
