Sky turns on wind power

A 155m-high wind turbine has started to power Sky's broadcast centre in west London

The turbine is expected to provide more than 133MWh per year of renewable energy to the £233 million facility known as Sky Studios – enough to meet its annual office lighting requirements.

The satellite television company estimates that the amount of CO2 offset by the turbine will be equivalent to driving 370,000 miles in a typical petrol-powered car each year.

The wind turbine will operate in conjunction with a recently commissioned combined cooling, heating and power plant, which will help Sky Studios meet the company’s target for all its owned sites to derive at least 20% of their energy needs from on-site renewable sources by 2020.

Sky Studios, which opened in July 2011, already boasts a rainwater harvesting facility, natural ventilation and energy-efficient lighting.