GB SailGP Team unveils custom renewable energy system

Renewable energy company Low Carbon and the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team have announced details of their new bespoke renewable energy installation, which has been created with the ambition of taking the team’s entire race operations off-grid.

The innovation was unveiled at the season 4 opener in Chicago (16-17 June 2023), as New Zealand”s Peter Burling led his team to victory over Tom Slingsby’s Australia and Phil Robertson’s Canada in Chicago, during the first three-boat event final of Season 4.

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, the frim says 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 Sir Ben Ainslie’s Emirates GBR team, Low Carbon is also a partner to the team’s charity, the 1851 Trust, which uses sailing concepts in educational settings to bring STEM subjects to life.

“Low Carbon was founded with the mission to make the biggest impact we can in the fight against climate change,” says Roy Bedlow, founder and chief executive of Low Carbon and a trustee of the 1851 Trust. “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.”

Ainslie adds: “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.”