London Concludes Construction on World's Largest Solar Bridge

Posted: 02/06/2014  browse the blog archive
London Concludes Construction on World's Largest Solar Bridge

London has successfully finished constructing the world’s largest solar bridge, reported BusinessGreen last week.  Network Rail, the company that operates and maintains Britain’s rail network, worked in association with Solarcentury, a solar energy company, to cover the roof of Blackfriars Bridge with photovoltaic panels.  Blackfriars Bridge runs over the River Thames and carries the A201 road.

After nearly five years, the project was completed last week.  The roof of the bridge has been covered with 4,400 solar panels, which are expected to provide up to half of the energy for London Blackfriars train station, or, alternatively, enough electricity to supply 333 houses all year round.  The panels were installed in a series of phases over the past two years, with a brief hiatus to minimize the impact on the station during the 2012 Olympic Games. 

The solar panels are expected to cut Blackfriar’s carbon emissions by an estimated 511 tons each year.  Supporters of the bridge believe that it will highlight London’s efforts to become a sustainable and environmentally-friendly city, as tourists and workers alike will view the panels as they enter the capital.  According to BusinessGreen, Solarcentury hopes that the success of the Blackfriars project will encourage more large infrastructure developers to embrace the benefits of renewable energy.

The Chanler Group is actively engaged in the review and analysis of incentive-based renewable energy programs to determine potential benefits to our clients.  Global energy consumption continues to increase each year and, with this increase, the demand for safe, clean, and unlimited energy is on the rise.  The Federal and State governments promote this interest through a variety of financially-beneficial incentives.  Our understanding of these laws allows us to guide homeowners, businesses, and/or developers through the various ways to take advantage of these incentive-based benefits.  With the appreciation that renewable energy laws and regulations are constantly changing, The Chanler Group is committed to investing in its understanding and practice of this area of law.