184 PV panels switched on at historic York Minster
King's College Chapel, University of Cambridge
The 438 new photovoltaic panels on the roof of the King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, marks a historic milestone for British architectural heritage.
Key information
Architect
Caroe Architecture
Client
King's College, University of Cambridge
Value
Undisclosed
Year of Completion
2024
Sector
Services
Challenge
King's College Chapel is a Grade I-listed building built between 1446 and 1515 and is considered to be among the finest gothic structures in Europe.
We worked with the college to develop a strategy to decarbonise its operations by 2038, reducing its carbon emissions by more than 23 tonnes each year. The new panels, combined with existing panels installed on the Wilkins Building and Old Garden Hostel student accommodation, will meet the chapel’s energy requirements and reduce the annual electricity demand of the college’s main site by approximately 6%, 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.
Video
Milestone project
The panels are part of the renovation of the 1950s lead roof of the chapel, which was no longer watertight. The college recognised a once-in-a-generation opportunity to install the PVs, as the chapel roof is the single largest potential opportunity for renewable electricity generation on the main college site.
Arrays of photovoltaic panels have been fixed to both of the north and south slopes of the chapel roof and will generate an anticipated 123,000 kWh/y which will feed into the college’s on-site electricity supply. The total potential peak output of the panels is 100 kWp.
100%
of energy requirements of chapel met by PVs
123,000 kWh
generated per year
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Quote
"The need to replace the lead roof presented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to implement the largest PV array possible in the main college site. Rigorous analysis provided an evidence base to support the very sensitive design proposal which ultimately resulted in a successful planning application for this beautiful and remarkable Grade I-listed building. The system is now fully functional and has started its job of reducing carbon emissions and the consumption of grid-supplied electricity."
Phil Armitage
BSc
Director, MEP Engineering
Gallery
Total of 4 images
Max Fordham LLP
© Max Fordham LLP
© Max Fordham LLP
© Barnes Construction
Awards highlights
| 2025 | Greater Cambridge Design & Construction Awards | The David Mackay Award for Engineering and Sustainability |
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