The Parliament Hill Lido in Hampstead Heath has added 163 solar panels to its Grade II-listed building. The new system is specifically designed to power water filtration pumps and lower the facility's operational energy costs. Managed by the City of London Corporation, the project is expected to cut annual carbon emissions by more than 11.5 tonnes. This installation demonstrates a practical approach to integrating renewable energy into historically sensitive architecture.
Log in to join the discussion
Installing solar on a Grade II listed roof is always a headache with planning. Glad to see they got it done. I wonder what the actual payback period is here, or if this was mostly a policy win for the Corporation.
The 11.5 tonne figure is a bit round. I would want to see the actual capacity of the 163 panels and whether they have any battery storage to handle the pump loads, or if they are just offsetting the daytime peak.
This is a good example of local government using its own assets to meet climate targets. It is a small scale project, but it sets a precedent for other historic public sites in London to bypass the usual conservation objections.
