Gloucester Cathedral, a building famous for hosting the Coronation of King Henry III, being the final resting place of King Edward II, and, more recently, appearing in three Harry Potter films and an episode of Sherlock, is set to become the oldest cathedral in the UK to install a commercial sized solar PV system on its roof.
Thanks to money from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Gloucester Cathedral is about to undergo a £6million development project with the installation of solar PV front and center. Mypower, a Gloucestershire-based company, was awarded the contract to add 150 solar panels to the roof of the Cathedral. Specifically, the panels will be added to the 30-meter high Nave roof, which was built almost 1,000 years ago, and will be impossible to see from the surrounding area.
The Church of England’s Shrinking the Footprint campaign wants to reduce its carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. The Cathedral’s new 42kW solar array will contribute to the overall goal of the Church of England by reducing energy costs by 25% for the historic structure.
There are some significant shading issues, however, due to the Cathedral’s design. Mypower used animated graphics to demonstrate the shading at different times of the day and year in order to find the right balance between capital cost and electricity yield.
In early October, Mypower will begin installing the panels with commissioning following four weeks later.
Related Stories
Market Data | Feb 24, 2021
2021 won’t be a growth year for construction spending, says latest JLL forecast
Predicts second-half improvement toward normalization next year.
Giants 400 | Dec 16, 2020
Download a PDF of all 2020 Giants 400 Rankings
This 70-page PDF features AEC firm rankings across 51 building sectors, disciplines, and specialty services.
Religious Facilities | Sep 17, 2020
Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
The project has been under construction since 1882.
Giants 400 | Aug 28, 2020
2020 Giants 400 Report: Ranking the nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms
The 2020 Giants 400 Report features more than 130 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
Religious Facilities | Mar 26, 2020
Cathedral design is inspired by a Bishop’s headpiece
RBB Architects designed the building.
Religious Facilities | Jul 30, 2019
Gensler’s temporary Pavillon Notre-Dame uses charred timber as its primary building material
What once destroyed Notre-Dame will now serve to make it stronger.
Architects | Jun 4, 2019
Big design, small budget: These are the best small projects for 2019
Bjarke Ingels Group's prototype mountainside cabin and Fieldwork's forest pedestrian bridges are among 12 projects honored by AIA's Small Project Practitioners group.
Religious Facilities | May 8, 2018
Manhattan’s historic Trinity Church Wall Street is getting its first facelift in 72 years
Improvements will include a new lighting and sound system, and a movable altar.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 14, 2017
Hallowed ground: A Mormon temple rises from the ashes of a fire-ravaged historic tabernacle
Parts of the tabernacle’s exterior shell were the only things that survived the blaze.
Religious Facilities | Mar 9, 2017
St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC launches new geothermal plant
The plant is the first in a series of upgrades planned for 2017 to adapt one of New York’s earliest landmarks.