(Photo: The solar panel installation at King’s Cross railway station in London. Credit: Network Rail)[/caption]
A solar panel project for historic King’s Cross railway station in London has generated one million kilowatts of electricity so far. The solar is also saving Network Rail £125,000 (around $162,500) in utility costs.
From 2006 to 2012, King’s Cross underwent an extensive £550 million ($714 million) redevelopment that included restoring the original station designed by Lewis Cubitt in 1852, renovating the platforms, and constructing a new western concourse. The massive redevelopment project also called for adding solar panels to the renovated train sheds.
SunDog Energy, part of the Photon Energy group of companies, installed the 240-kWp PV system with an output of around 175,000 kWh of electricity annually. Solar PV cells were integrated into 1,392 glass laminate units forming part of two new barrel-vaulted glass roofing structures over the platforms and concourses, the company said. In all, the panels cover more than 2,300 square meters.
TSP Projects designed the restoration of the station’s double barrel roof, including the installation of “beer mat” solar panels. “Our design both preserved the listed roof and added to its functionality by incorporating blast-proof glass and renewable energy generation,” according to the multidisciplinary engineering consultancy.
The solar panel installation proved particularly challenging, the Guardian reported in 2012. “The safety rules are so tight that items such as pens have to go up in a dedicated lift connected to the installation area in order to prevent them falling from a height above the station,” Will Nichols wrote. A spokesman for SunDog Energy said at the time that forgetting something meant an hour to go back and retrieve it.
Network Rail recently announced that the solar panel addition — along with measures such as rainwater harvesting, water-saving taps, and extra insulation — helped Network Rail achieve a BREEAM excellent rating.
“The initiatives we introduced at King’s Cross during the refurbishment are paying real dividends both in terms of reducing our carbon footprint and in saving us money,” said Rob McIntosh, Network Rail route managing director.
