HBS New Energies completes installation of one of the UK’s highest roof mounted PV systems at 100 Bishopsgate, London. The 49.7 kWp solar array has been integrated into the city tower at 172 metres high, helping the project achieve its energy targets and BREEAM Excellent rating.
HBS New Energies has completed a 49.7 kWp solar PV system to the roof of 100 Bishopsgate, a £450m, 40-storey development located in the City of London. Installed at a height of 172 metres, the east west roof mounted solar array is set to be one the highest roof top corporate solar installations in the UK.
TClarke who recently completed the £34m electrical package for the 950,00 sq ft building for main contractor Brookfield Multiplex appointed HBS New Energies as its partner to design, supply and install the project’s complex solar requirements.
To ensure the solar panels can sustain the extreme weather conditions at such altitude, HBS’s in-house design team engineered a bespoke solution that is securely fixed to the building’s structure.
Summary of new build solar PV services
- HBS supplied a full turnkey service managing all aspects of design, supply and installation. The contracted works included system testing, commissioning and O&M handover.
- With a ballasted option not viable, the key challenge for the team was to identify and design a safe and effective mounting system for a solar array that could be integrated to the building fabric at a height of 172 metres on a flat non-penetrative roof.
- Following initial site surveys and consultation with a structural engineer, HBS’ technical and design team calculated the wind and snow loadings that the PV system would be subjected to.
- Working alongside TClarke we engineered a design which mechanically integrated the PV system to the structural roof members producing a fixed mounting framework that would secure it safely on the roof at such a height.
- TClarke completed the structural enabling works which involved integrating steel posts into the building fabric of the roof. This allowed HBS to begin the project and securely attach the bespoke framework to the fixed posts and the steel module boxes. We then installed the PV modules using the pre-positioned fixing points and a high tensile steel wire was used to fix every module individually to the steel posts.
- The project team worked flexibly to facilitate the other trades progress, completing the solar installation to meet the client’s specification, finishing all works to an exemplary standard, in a safe and controlled manner.
- Careful planning and close consultation from start to finish proved vital to the success of this project and overcome the logistical challenges faced due to location, height and adverse weather conditions.
- Combining photovoltaics alongside energy efficiency measures ensured the building achieved its 23.7% improvement over Part L 2013 and the targeted BREEAM ‘Excellent’ environmental rating, making it one of the most sustainable buildings in central London.
- To ensure the 49.7kWp solar installation at 100 Bishopsgate achieved the performance requirements within the client’s budget factors, we specified 138 Sunpower 360w modules, one of the most efficient on the market combined with 2 x Huawei inverters.
- The 100 Bishopsgate solar array is expected to generate more than 44,000 kWh of zero carbon electricity per annum; saving the tower around 23,000 kg of CO2, helping to offset the buildings operating costs.
| Location | 100 Bishopsgate, London |
| Annual CO2 savings | 23,000 kg |
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