Electricity is the only source of power in the museum. The museum collection, whether in store or on exhibition, needs to be kept within specific temperature and relative humidity ranges, which means we must run de-humidifiers and electric heaters for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Even keeping to eco settings and reducing the night settings to the minimum, our bills can be very high. Installing solar panels will reduce these costs throughout the year, as well as reducing our carbon footprint. We estimate that our panels will generate 4,739 kWh per year (enough to boil water for more than 150,000 cups of tea!), decreasing emissions by the equivalent of 2.4 tonnes CO2. 

The installation was part-funded by Low Carbon Dorset as part of the European Regional Development Fund. 
Blandford Museum Environmental Group has been set up to work on events and projects with an environmental focus such as sustainability fairs, tree planting, rubbish collection, and working to make Blandford a “Plastic Free” town. The Group, which incorporates Blandford War on Waste and the Clean Up Blandford Campaign, will also arrange craft and children’s events, lectures and discussions on environmental topics. 

Participation in the group is open to all Members, Friends and Patrons of the Museum. If you would like to get involved but are not yet a Museum member, please visit our Membership page. 

The latest project for the Museum Garden Group is to change two areas bordered by paths and each with a bench for quiet contemplation. They will be developed to demonstrate cultivation and planting suitable for our changing climate.
With increased temperatures and less predictable rainfall there is an urgent need for UK gardeners to use plants with climate resilience. These can be readily available familiar garden plants, rather than more expensive and less available alternatives. Changing to sustainable techniques will reduce the amount of water and time needed to tend the plants. Starting in autumn 2022, the proposed areas will be designed to thrive and be colourful in dry conditions. It will also reflect volunteers’ available time and skills. The planting will be resilient to dry conditions using mostly flowering plants very attractive to pollinating insects. Progress will be recorded and regularly updated on the Museum website and Facebook, as well as in the Garden itself. 
The Garden is largely self-funded from the sale of plants propagated by the gardeners and it is hoped to have many of the plants chosen for the new area available for visitors to purchase.