[Office of the Archbishop of York] 184 solar panels on the roof of York Minster were switched on for the first time Jan. 9 during a blessing ceremony led by the dean of York, the Very Rev. Dominic Barrington.
The discreetly placed panels, installed over the last four months on the south Choir roof, will generate 70,000 kilowatt hours of energy, enough to deliver a third of the Minster’s electricity requirements. This is the fourth solar installation on the Minster estate, which together will generate 120,000 kilowatt hours of energy per year – enough to power 41 average U.K. homes.
The solar panel installation is one of many projects underway across the Minster as part of its Neighborhood Plan, which was adopted in 2022 following 32 weeks of public consultation. The plan, which has recently attracted international awards for innovation, is designed to address the challenges of the 21st century, principally responding to the climate emergency and the impacts of climate change on the fragile masterpiece that is York Minster’s 800-year-old building.
Alex McCallion, director of works and precinct at York Minster, explained, “Extreme weather, brought about by climate change, is the greatest threat to the fabric of York Minster. These solar panels signify a significant step forward in our decarbonization journey and is a significant project of our Neighborhood Plan.
“This project joins our existing solar slates on the York Minster refectory, solar panels at the Heritage Quad, and solar film on the Works and Technology Hub, to help reduce our energy consumption by a third – a huge leap forward toward a net zero future.
“The closing statement of COP29 reminded us of the perilous state of our climate when the U.N. Secretary General noted. ‘COP29 comes at the close of a brutal year – a year seared by record temperatures, and scarred by climate disaster, all as emissions continue to rise.’
“Our adopted Neighborhood Plan is delivering ambitious change in our estate as we take bold action to get our buildings to net zero. These renewable energy systems, together with retrofit to insulate our buildings and reduce energy consumption, should be celebrated as a major step forward and show that it if we can do it at York Minster, everyone can and should.”