The idea
Kielder Observatory needs a new wind turbine! As we reach our 15th year as an outreach observatory, our fantastic site has faced all the elements, and it’s all taken its toll on our wind turbine. We are completely off-grid with our energy supply. We rely on a wind turbine to help keep the observatory running- it is invaluable to our organisation. This will help us deliver 700+ events, improve the work we do and engage more diverse audiences with the dark skies and provide memorable moments. We will provide the best experience for visitors, ensuring they get the opportunity to explore the Dark Skies above Northumberland, reaching new audiences to give them their own ‘Kielder Moment. We’re based in Kielder Forest and want to minimise environmental impact- our wind turbine allows us to do this. Without it,we would need to install a power supply which would cause disruption to the area. This will keep our energy costs low and we can invest our money into engaging more people with astronomy
What we'll deliver
- Install new wind turbine at Kielder Observatory
- New environmental initiatives launched at Kielder Observatory
- Delivery over 700 public events per year
Why it's a great idea
- Help us continue to deliver hundreds of events to the public each year, engaging audiences with the magic of the dark skies
- Keep the observatory running, attracting visitors from across the world to Northumberland and Kielder Forest and increasing economic impact on the local and regional area
- Engage new audiences who would not normally access Kielder Observatory and STEM activity by utilising our IT provision to reach new people in new places
- Enhance our commitment to being an environmentally friendly charity and sustainable organisation, benefiting the local area
Steps to get it done
- Purchase new wind turbine
- Install new wind turbine
- Produce efficiency report
- Celebration event for high-value infrastructure investment- showcase of all that Kielder Observatory does
