London’s largest solar project is well underway, with construction moving rapidly forward on the Blackfriars Bridge railway station retrofit.
UK based solar panel provider Solarcentury has been brought in to undertake the major infrastructural retrofit, which is quite unlike any project undertaken in the country.
In the race to the 2012 London Olympic Games, it is highly publicised that the city is putting in copious amount of construction work to make London as accessible and comfortable as possible for the increased traffic. What is perhaps not so well known, is that these new developments have a green methodology that will aid in the UK’s goal to host the world’s most sustainable games.
This is being achieved by creating buildings that have a focus on sustainability measures, such as the London River Walk, which offers education about green options as well as undertaking green building methodologies through the use of prefabrication and recycling, and the London Aquatic Centre, which will concentrate on sustainable water recycling and preservation from the pools run off.
In doing this, the games will be green in the short run, in addition to aiding in the achievement of the UK’s carbon elimination goals in the long run.
4,400 solar panels are currently being fitted onto the 125 year old bridge, bringing with them the energy generation of approximately 900,000 kwh annually. The results of a 6,000 sqm project of this magnitude translates to the generation of energy that will cater to 50% of the station’s energy needs, saving a predicted 510 tonnes of carbon emissions each year.
In terms of methodology, a green building process will be undertaken which will involve all 14,000 tonnes of building materials being shipped down the Thames on a barge rather than adding useless on road carbon emissions.
In addition to having half of its total power generated by green technologies, the station will receive further retrofitting that will include rainwater harvesting systems aiding in water collection and skylights to aid in the use of natural lighting, cutting down even more reliance on grid energy.
In making these changes, the new system will be able to cater to double its current foot traffic, while still cutting back their carbon footprint. Whether consciously or otherwise, city planners are laying the foundations for the future of London that will offer to do more than impress international visitors. It will boost sustainable technologies in one of the world’s most industrialised cities, aiding in the promotion of green building practices and how they are able to assist in the running of major cities.
