Palestra building integrated photovoltaic system
Find out how easy it is to generate more than 50,000 kWh of electricity, equivalent to about 28,000kg of CO2 emissions.
Organisation:
London Climate Change Agency
Size:
Large
Location:
Palestra, Southwark
Aims:
To demonstrate through ‘showing by doing’ the feasibility of integrating renewable energy technologies into a building.
Savings:
Generation of 50,000kWh of electricity per year and saving 28,000 kg of CO2 emissions per year
How London Climate Change Agency made a difference
The LCCA’s innovative plan was to retrofit a renewable energy system into its headquarters at Palestra while it was being constructed.
The project was completed in October 2006 and has since generated more than 50,000 kWh of electricity, equivalent to about 28,000 kg of CO2 emissions.
The successful conclusion of the project demonstrates that it is possible for a tenant to take control of their own energy supply and reduce carbon emissions.
The LCCA worked closely with the building owners, Blackfriars Investments Ltd, and contractors to incorporate the PV system into the building’s construction programme. The installed system comprises of 335 high efficiency photovoltaic modules with a total installed capacity of 63 kWp,
Planning permission was required, which was granted without issue by Southwark Council.
The major challenge to the project was its timing. The proposals required retrofitting the building during the constructions phase. This required changes to the building design plan and incorporating the installation within the construction programme without creating delays and incurring financial penalties.
However, good co-operation between the stakeholders resulted in the timely completion of both Palestra’s main construction programme and the renewable energy system, showing the feasibility of working with building owners and developers to accommodate the retrofit of such technologies.
The project, which was supported by the Department for Trade and Industry (DTI) Large Photovoltaic Demonstration Scheme, managed by the Energy Savings Trust, illustrates how it is possible for organisations to integrate renewable energy systems into building construction and thus reduce their carbon footprint.
Live performance is available on the web, check: www.sunnyportal.com or www.lcca.co.uk
