Established more than 30 years ago, Eureka!, the UK's National Children's Museum based in Halifax, provides hands-on learning experiences for children under 11, as well as families, schools and community groups.
Faced with rising energy bills, a key objective for them was to reduce costs, lower their carbon footprint and develop a long-term plan for improving their environmental performance.
A resource efficiency audit helped Eureka! identify opportunities to improve their energy performance. Following this, they were able to secure £30,000 towards the total project cost of £165,000, to install a 230.96 kWp solar panel system.
This is expected to produce more than 100% of the energy used by the museum. It will generate 159,105 kWh of renewable electricity each year, with almost 148,000 kWh consumed on site. This will help Eureka! reduce carbon emissions by more than 30 tonnes annually, saving over £35,000 in energy costs. These savings will be used to support future sustainability projects.
The museum also received consultancy voucher support worth 50% of the total cost which helped identify further projects that could collectively save around 60 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.
Support from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority has enabled us to take a major step forward in our sustainability journey. The solar PV installation and wider consultancy work have not only reduced our energy costs and carbon emissions, but also created opportunities to engage and educate our visitors about renewable energy and climate action.
Tudor Gwynn
Strategic Projects Director
As part of its educational mission, Eureka! is showcasing the solar project within its Eco-Street exhibition, helping visitors learn about renewable energy through live generation data and interactive displays. The museum hopes this will inspire more people to understand the benefits of low-carbon technologies and climate action.
