Published on 27 - June - 2011

News

Cathedral plans to install £100k of solar panels

Coventry Cathedral is applying for planning permission to install more than £100,000 worth of solar technology on the roof of the Grade-I listed building.

If the project gains approval the Cathedral would be the first in the country to go solar, the Coventry Telegraph reports.

Executive director Jane Woodward said: "We are looking at putting a 50 kilowatt solar array on the roof and we hope it will significantly reduce our electricity bills.

"It's a Grade-I listed building and we haven't jumped all the hurdles yet but we are fortunate in Coventry because many cathedrals have quite steep pitched roofs behind shady parapets whereas ours is fairly flat so we're hoping it will be possible. It would make us the first cathedral in the country to do it, and possibly the first in the world."

EOS Energy, a specialist division of Southam based renewable energy business Alumet, is planning 178 panels for the roof of the Cathedral, covering 200 m².

The plans also include installing a digital display inside the building so visitors can see how much energy the panels are generating from the sun.

In addition to applying for planning permission from Coventry City Council, the plans must also be approved by the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England (CFCE).

Despite the planning hurdles ahead, staff at the Cathedral remain optimistic, Ms Woodward added: "The Church of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury are interested in the project for the reasons of environmental stewardship and climate justice."