Image © King's College, Cambridge
Turley has helped to secure approval for plans to install photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof of King’s Chapel in Cambridge.
Turley provided expert planning and heritage services for the application, which has been approved by Cambridge City Council.
The installation of the panels will be part of crucial conservation works to the roof, which will see the entire lead covering removed, sand-casted and replaced, all while maintaining access to the building for visitors, daily services and concerts.
The plans are part of a wider strategy at King’s College to decarbonise by 2038 and the panels will meet 100% of the energy needs of the chapel – reducing the college’s carbon emissions by more than 27 tonnes each year.
The potential combined annual output of the north and south slope PV panels is 128,062 kWh/year, with an annual CO2 reduction of 27,188 kgCO2.
Extensive research and analysis has been undertaken to minimise all impacts of the panels while delivering the maximum energy output. This has involved feasibility studies, options appraisals, practical ‘mock-ups’, and test case demonstrations, all while carefully considering the heritage value of the chapel and its contribution to the significance of surrounding heritage assets. The panels will not affect any of the historic fabric and the 100-year design life of the lead roof allows future generations the means to install replacement panels without additional intervention.
The Provost, Professor Michael Proctor, said:
We are greatly heartened by the council’s unanimous decision to approve the proposal to install photovoltaic panels on the roof of King’s College Chapel, and the demonstrable commitment to taking action on climate change that the decision signifies. As the Planning Committee noted, the panels will have only a very minimal impact on the visual appearance of the Chapel, but will make a considerable, quantifiable difference in the process of decarbonisation.
