Turbine Visit Recap…
A few weeks ago, we had the absolute pleasure of hosting some fantastic residents at the Ambition Lawrence Weston Community Wind Turbine. This was a brilliant event and really allowed us to connect with local communities, as well as giving local people the chance to see the turbine in action. We had some fabulous speakers who shared lots of information and created a fun and engaging learning environment. For those who missed the event, we wanted to share a little piece of the turbine with you.
The 150m turbine is the tallest onshore wind turbine in Europe and generates enough energy to power over 3000 local homes. What is particularly exciting is that this turbine is 100% community-owned with no shareholders. The turbine’s primary aim is to tackle deprivation and poverty in the Lawrence Weston community. Ambition Community Energy CIC is a community-owned organisation founded in 2012 and comprising solely of local people. The idea of Ambition Community Energy is to give local people agency and autonomy when it comes to energy decisions.
The project began in 2015 when two residents agreed to build a wind turbine in Bristol. On the 8th of July 2020, the planning application received unanimous approval from Bristol City Council’s Planning Committee. After a long and complex construction process,s the turbine was ready and in full operation by March 2023 and has been running ever since. The turbine itself features some pretty cool design features, including its “owl wing” design. T-blades feature a trailing-edge serration which mimics the design of owl wings and significantly reduces the sound emitted from the turbine. Instead of using standard turbine parts, this thing packs a massive, custom-built generator. The 8-meter monster was so huge it had to be shipped in three pieces and built right on-site. Even cooler, it skips the rare-earth magnets that standard turbines use, avoiding destructive mining. Plus, it acts like a giant grid bodyguard, actively stabilising the local power network whenever it gets glitchy.
The turbine is located in Lawrence Weston and serves the local community there. Lawrence Weston is located on the northwestern edge of Bristol. The area developed rapidly post WW2 and is now home to around 7500 residents. The area is now known for its pioneering community energy projects thanks to the turbine and the efforts of residents. The project is not just about climate action; it is a direct response to Bristol’s social injustice emergency following years of local spending cuts. Moreover, due to the poorly insulted post war housing stock, the area suffered from high rates of fuel poverty. The revenue earned from the turbine has been used to help local families who are facing this kind of fuel poverty.
For anyone who had the opportunity to visit the turbine last month, we hope you had a brilliant time. To anyone who couldn’t make it this time, we hope you’ve learnt a few interesting facts from this blog. Make sure to stay tuned to our social media to hear about more events coming up soon!
