The Science Museum has unveiled a groundbreaking gallery focused on sustainable energy, aiming to address climate change by exploring innovative energy solutions. Through striking displays of contemporary and historic objects, engaging digital exhibits, and specially commissioned models, the gallery shows how the past, present, and future of energy systems are shaped by human imagination and innovation and explores how we all have a role to play in deciding our energy future.
This free gallery is divided into sections in ‘Future Planet,’ visitors learn about climate science and potential climate futures. ‘Future Energy’ highlights low-carbon technologies like nuclear fusion, solar, and hydrogen. ‘Our Future’ invites visitors to imagine and engage with creative solutions for sustainable energy.
At the heart of the gallery, connecting science and art is a kinetic sculpture called ‘Only Breath,’ created by artists Alexandra Carr and Colin Rennie from Torus Torus Studios. The sculpture made of repurposed mirrors, recyclable stainless steel, and windblown wood moves and blooms, stretching to around 5 meters in diameter when unfurled. It signifies the power of nature to inspire technological change.
The gallery also highlights the importance of energy storage, transportation decarbonization, and sustainable construction. It features important and rare items in our energy revolution. This includes Thomas Edison's tube mains cables and exhibits on long-term climate observation, a vast 7-metre-long tidal turbine blade made by Orbital Marine Power, and a towering 5-metre-tall parabolic solar trough mirrors used on huge solar farms, to name just a few items on display.
Plus, included is an interactive game that explores the challenge of energy storage. Visitors can balance supply and demand in an interactive game based on the National Grid and examine a variety of batteries used to store energy, from familiar AA alkaline and hearing aid batteries to chemical batteries that power electric vehicles and satellites. They can also play with a working model of a gravity battery, which uses falling heavy weights to generate electricity.
To learn more about the new gallery click here and to plan your visit to the Science Museum click here.
