The observatory buildings were designed to conserve and generate as much of their own energy as possible. At the heart of the system is a 10kW, 7m diameter Vergnet wind turbine, with a second producing 5Kw, at full output. These supply electricity for heating, lighting, household appliances, etc. To overcome the intermittent nature of the wind supply, energy is stored in water heat stores situated in both blocks and a battery store in the dormitory block. The system is regulated by a series of electrically and thermostatically operated valves and pumps.
Heat is recovered from the exhaust air using a heat exchanger.
The methods of minimising heat loss from the main house and the dormitory block differ slightly but employ the same principles. Both use very high levels of thermal insulation. In the main block the cavity extends one metre below the ground skirting a hardcore infill which reduces losses downwards and acts as a heat reservoir. The dormitory block simply has a polystyrene layer below the floor slab in the insulated area. An extra layer of fibre cement slates externally, especially at higher levels, helps reduce heat losses through wind and exposure.