Octopus Energy’s wind turbine makes its electrifying London debut powering food stands and bars at Alexandra Palace’s series of outdoor concerts this month.
‘Gusty Spinfield’, as the temporary turbine was affectionately named by Octopus customers, comes fresh from a spin at Glastonbury festival.
The turbine’s pink blades will now provide a stunning backdrop for the legendary London venue’s ‘Summer Season’ from 6 to 25 July.
Perched on top of the hill at Ally Pally, the 28-metre tall turbine is the height of over six London double-decker buses. It will produce enough green electricity for 300 fridges a day, paired with a battery to store any excess power so no breeze goes to waste.
The venue’s Kaleidoscope Festival on 13 July will be London’s first festival to feature wind energy. Octopus is offering customers a chance to win tickets to the festival, which will feature a stellar line-up of music, DJs and comedy performances.
This July also brings an impressive lineup of other headlining acts, including Bombay Bicycle Club (12 July), Suede and Manic Street Preachers (18 July) and Tom Odell (July 19). The ‘Summer Season’ concludes with Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds on 20 July, providing music fans with a diverse range of performances throughout the month.
An activity day for local schools is also being run to showcase the benefits of green power to young people.
Emma Dagnes OBE, CEO at Alexandra Park and Palace Charitable Trust, said: “Our vision for the future of Ally Pally is to become a sustainable home for everything we do. We are only at the start of this journey, but our ambition is huge. Gusty is an amazing learning opportunity, allowing us to explore how we can embed renewable energy into our world-famous events. It’s also a chance to raise awareness and stimulate important conversations.
“Ally Pally was built as the ‘People’s Palace’ 150 years ago. A spirit of daring and innovation has steered us through the last century and a half. We’ve been home to major technologicaladvances and world firsts. We want to embrace that spirit more than ever. The single biggest threat we face is the climate emergency and we are determined that Alexandra Palace can be part of the solution.”
Zoisa North-Bond, CEO at Octopus Energy Generation, said: ‘Our temporary pink wind turbine was a big hit at Glastonbury and we’re delighted its London debut is at the iconic Ally Pally. Wind energy is famously both cheaper and cleaner, and surveys show that 4 out of 5 Londoners would support a wind turbine nearby if it meant discounted electricity bills.
“We see cranes dotted over London’s bustling skyline, so why not smaller but majestic wind turbines? In the future, we believe there could be more potential for urban wind power, where people want it.’’
