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With over 47,000 churches in the UK, most of which have large, flat, south facing roofs, designed to catch the sun for interior heat, and an impressive exterior, the UK’s churches have a massive potential for collecting solar sun, and they are noticing. ChurchCare, the district that organizes the care and maintenance of Church of England buildings shows that over 376 church owned buildings have installed solar panels in the last decade, and many more are on the way. While this number is small compared to the number of churches, it’s well above the average solar vs. no-solar rates for domestic buildings and businesses. One example is the historic Gloucester Cathedral, which is currently installing a 45kWp solar array on their rooftops, as part of Project Pilgrim, a £6 million regeneration project, meant to restore and repair the cathedral. The array will supply some 20% of the Cathedral’s energy demand, or about 27,000 Kw of energy per year, and will include 180 panels on the Nave Roof (installed in 1950), which are not visible from the ground.
Churches Around the UK Installing Solar
Gloucester’s 180 panel solar array won’t be visible from the ground
Gloucester also isn’t the only large scale solar installation, they’re cropping up around the country. The Chapel of St. Nicholas Kings Lynn installed a 92-panel pave power system in June, as part of their own regeneration project, also partially funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, as well as Scottish Power Green Energy Trust. St Michaels and All Angels in Gloucester is zero carbon, thanks in part to a large solar installation. The new solar trend also isn’t quite as new as it would seem, as some churches, like St. James Piccadilly installed panels as far back as 2005.
While reasons for going green and installing solar panels vary from offering an economic example to the parish to saving money, churches around the UK are eager to install solar, and their buildings make it easy. Of course, there are considerations, such as the fact that many churches are historic buildings and require protection and special installation to avoid damaging or disfiguring the beauty of a historical landmark. However, with large, flat roofs, many churches can actually install panels completely out of sight, and usually on roofs installed within the last century.
Generating Returns
Installed solar panels are already generating returns for churches around the country
Most churches are installing solar panels as part of green programs encouraging them to go green with various buildings including churches and schools, but many are actually seeing decent returns. One example is the Melbourne Parish Church, which generated some £11,826 via the feed-in-tariff since 2011, averaging just under £3,000 per year, which should average out to £54,000 over 25 years, or a £14,000 return on investment, as the panels originally cost £40,000. Because panels are now cheaper, these figures will differ a great deal for churches installing panels now, especially with Feed-in-Tariff adjustments, but PV power is generating actual income for churches, especially those in the south of England.
Grants and Community Funding
Churches are in a unique position to benefit from both community funding and government grants, making it easy for most to raise funds to cover the cost of solar panels. While some communities object, and rightly so, to installing solar panels on historic buildings and landmarks, many can be installed without damage, and out of sight. Churches and parishes have a number of options for raising funds, but must first contact English Heritage for approval. Communities like Eco Church and ChurchCare both have programs to help churches afford installing solar panels. Some installers, like Ecotricity are also known to cut deals and offer discounts for churches and church owned buildings.
Green Example
One of the most important reasons that many churches are choosing to install solar, even small arrays, is the example it sets for the community. ““We were looking for a good environmental project to do, as a kind of showcase of what could be done for the local community, and the roof has a large surface area and is at the right angle to be ideal for solar panels,” says Reverend Dr. Mark Powel of the Melbourne Parish Church. “The fact that you can achieve something like this on a listed building – it encourages other people in the community.” That idea has also proven true in other areas, such as schools. After successful installations are shown to generate returns, more installations crop up around the area.
The UK’s solar churches only have a small impact on the country’s green energy production, but they do provide a good example, and those that have installations are already generating returns, which they can use to pay the high costs of maintaining historic buildings. With reduced electricity bills and reduced carbon output, there are very few cons, except for occasionally visible panels on some rooftops.
