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Plans to install solar panels on Chapel roof approved by City Council

Acting on behalf of King’s College, Cambridge, Turley has helped to secure approval for plans to install photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof of King’s Chapel.

We provided expert Planning and Heritage services for the application, which was approved by Cambridge City Council, in a vote of the Planning Committee on 7 February 2023.  

The installation of the panels has been designed to dovetail with the crucial conservation works to the Chapel 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, which form one facet of the College’s strategy to decarbonise its operations by 2038, will meet 100% of the energy needs of the Chapel and will reduce the College’s carbon emissions by more than 27 tonnes each year.

What are the immediate benefits of installing the panels?

The PV panels will make a considerable, quantifiable positive environmental impact. 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. Through the panels, the entire energy needs of the Chapel will be more than fulfilled, with excess energy feeding into the College’s internal electricity network, reducing the College’s reliance on the National Grid.

In the long-term, technical analysis has assessed that - even after factoring in the payback of the embodied carbon of the panels themselves – the “lost opportunity” cost of not implementing the proposed PV panels would equate to the emission of approximately 410 tonnes of CO₂ between now and 2050, independently of any electrification of heating demands. It is acknowledged that this is likely to be a conservative figure due to the decarbonisation of the National Grid falling short of anticipated targets.

What will be the impact on the Chapel?

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 exceptional 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 of the extraordinary Chapel, and the 100-year design life of the lead roof allows future generations the means to install replacement panels without additional intervention.

After the City Council decision, the Provost, Professor Michael Proctor, commented:

"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."

14 February 2023

Image courtesy of King's College, Cambridge