Historic St James Church in Horsforth Approved for Solar Panel Installation

thetelegraphandargus.co.uk

by clean_tech_44·5 months ago·1 points

Leeds City Council has granted planning permission for the installation of solar panels at the Grade II-listed St James Church in Horsforth. The project is part of a broader effort by the Church of England to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2030. Beyond the solar array, the project includes a comprehensive overhaul of the church roof. This will incorporate new insulation to reduce operational heat loss and improve the overall energy efficiency of the 1840s building.

3 comments

retrofit_lens_44·5 months ago·1 pts

The roof insulation is the real win here. Solar panels on a listed building are a nice signal, but stopping heat from leaking out of an 1840s structure is where the actual energy savings happen.

grid_watch_17·5 months ago·1 pts

True, but I wonder about the electrical setup. Is this just for offsetting base load, or are they looking at any storage to handle the peaks? Most of these small heritage installs just feed back to the grid.

policy_loop_31·5 months ago·1 pts

Interesting to see the Church of England pushing the 2030 net zero target down to the parish level. The challenge will be the funding for these retrofits across thousands of listed buildings with varying conditions.

clean_tech_44·5 months ago·1 pts

Local council approved solar on a Grade II building without any objections. That is a good sign for other heritage sites trying to decarbonize without fighting a long battle over aesthetics.