Smart Energy GB and National Trust Offer Chance to Experience Impact of Climate Crisis

Smart Energy GB, the UK Government backed campaign for a Smarter Britain, has announced a partnership with the National Trust, to shine a light on the impact of the climate crisis. 

To launch the partnership, Smart Energy GB and AMV BBDO has created six installations unveiled at National Trust places across the country, which offer visitors the chance to ‘time travel’ to the year 2050, and experience the impacts of the climate emergency.

The innovative and immersive experience, created through CGI and augmented reality technology will provide a glimpse of what the UK can expect if it continues without the vital energy infrastructure that smart meters provide. In comparison, the installation will also show the impact positive environmental change could have on the future of nature and the environment; juxtaposing the two different versions of the reality Great Britain could face if we don’t do something about the current climate emergency.

Visitors will first be shown a stark look at each property in the midst of a polluted environment, exemplifying the reality we could face if we continue to consume energy at our current rate. Followed by a rejuvenated look at the wildlife and nature that could thrive if we act now to cut carbon emissions and look after the environment.

The installations are part of a partnership in which the National Trust is doing its part to lay the foundations for a smarter more sustainable future by encouraging people to take small actions that can help tackle big problems.

Thanks to the support of Smart Energy GB, the National Trust will be able to invest in more projects that help them achieve their goals of reducing energy use by 15% and sourcing 50% of their energy from renewable sources by 2021.

To support the installations, the National Trust will run a multi-channel campaign encouraging people to visit the ‘Travel to 2050’ experience and highlighting the importance of small steps in protecting nature and the environment. This includes a bespoke advertorial feature in the latest edition of the National Trust magazine, with Smart Energy GB also activating a series of co-branded advertorials in local and national newspapers to support the partnership.

Produced by experiential specialists, Realise Live, each of the mirrored structures stands at over eight-feet-tall and has been constructed using a range of sustainable materials, as well as recycled materials wherever possible. Behind the tech is Hungarian production company, Umbrella, who has used a mix of live feed, CGI and AR animation to recreate the National Trust properties through time. 

Sacha Deshmukh, chief executive of Smart Energy GB, commented: “If our country is to meet the government's commitment to cut all carbon emissions by 2050, the outdated energy system needs to become much more responsive to fluctuating supply from sustainable sources like wind and sun. Smart meters are the first step towards upgrading our energy system and paving the way for a cleaner, greener future.

“We’re thrilled to partner with a charity as eminent as the National Trust to offer visitors a look at the, frankly, quite scary reality of what our future will look like if we don’t make immediate changes to upgrade our existing energy infrastructure.”  

The data gathered from smart meters about household energy consumption, enable the new, smart energy system to better understand, plan for and balance out the peaks and troughs in demand, making it easier to integrate sustainable sources of power. 

Keith Jones, climate change advisor, National Trust commented: “Climate change is not some time in the future. It’s happening here and now, affecting the special places we care for.  It's easy to feel helpless in the face of climate change, but by taking small steps, such as installing a smart meter, we can make a meaningful difference together.  They can’t solve climate change on their own, but with the smarter, more efficient energy they create, they’re a start. It's much easier to be more energy efficient if you know how much energy you're using. This is why we're using hundreds of smart meters at the places we care for to measure how much energy is used at different times of day.”

Following the installations at Hardwick (Derbyshire), Clumber Park (Nottinghamshire) and Dunham Massey (Greater Manchester) last month, the next set of installations will go live at Killerton (Exeter), Trelissick (Truro) and Montacute House (Somerset) from October 14th, 2019.