Low Carbon powers the Emirates GB SailGP Team with a first-of-its-kind renewable energy installation

Low Carbon powers the Emirates GB SailGP Team with a first-of-its-kind renewable energy installation © Low Carbon

Global renewable energy company Low Carbon and the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team have announced the latest innovation in their partnership to further increase the team's use of clean energy.

The bespoke renewable energy installation has been created with the ambition of taking the team's entire race operations off-grid. The innovation has been unveiled in Chicago as Season 4 gets under way and Emirates GBR stakes its claim to become the most sustainable elite sports team in the world and win the SailGP Impact League.

While Sir Ben Ainslie's crew harness the power of wind and waves in the ocean, back on land, Low Carbon's ground-breaking renewable energy installation will ensure that Emirates GBR's onshore operations capture all the energy needed to power the British Team's on-land operations using renewable energy sources.

The renewable energy system, designed by Low Carbon's engineers working in partnership with the Emirates GBR team, is made up of wind turbines and solar panels totalling up to 16kW. Combined this has the potential to provide enough clean energy to power nearly 13,000 fridge-freezers for a whole day - the equivalent of a reduction of 4 tonnes of CO2e. The installation will travel with the team's base to all locations across the upcoming season calendar as it looks to emulate last season's success of making the podium in the SailGP Impact League, which tracks the positive actions teams make to reduce their carbon footprint and promote inclusivity in sailing.

As part of their collaboration with Emirates GBR, Low Carbon is also a partner to the team's charity, the 1851 Trust. Low Carbon and the Trust work together on the climate change education programme, Protect Our Future, which aims to inspire more than 5 million young people to take climate action by pursuing careers in STEM subjects. During the Season 3 Grand Final in San Francisco last month, Low Carbon and the Emirates GBR team convened its largest Protect Our Future session to date with 100 pupils from local schools, business leaders and climate experts. Further activities to promote climate change education are planned at events across the globe for the upcoming season.

Roy Bedlow, Founder and Chief Executive of Low Carbon and a Trustee of the 1851 Trust, said: "Low Carbon was founded with the mission to make the biggest impact we can in the fight against climate change. We are excited to work with Sir Ben and the whole team who have repeatedly shown leadership as passionate climate champions. We hope that by publicly embracing renewable energy as a key component of their winning formula, we can help create a blueprint for the future of sustainable elite sport."

Sir Ben Ainslie said: "As a team we are dedicated to making the biggest positive impact we can on the planet. For us, winning the SailGP Impact League is just as important as securing the Championship title. We are excited to be working in partnership with Low Carbon on this first-of-its-kind renewable energy installation that will bring us even closer to our goal of net zero and show how innovation is driving us to make a difference for our planet."

Young Chicago students taking part in a Protect our Future lesson hosted by Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team - photo © L Goldman