Solar first for London church

The UK got its first solar-tiled church this week, as work was completed at St Silas in Pentonville, London was completed.


The majority of the church’s south facing roof has been covered with specially-manufactured PV tiles, designed to blend in with the surrounding Welsh slate.

The £380,000 project was funded by a combination of grants, charitable trust donations and sheer graft by parishioners sponsoring the roof slate by slate.

While it is the first church to be extensively decked out with solar slates in this way, Parish Priest Father Shaun Richards was confident it would not be the last.

“I’m certain it will catch on because we all have south facing roofs, we all have huge energy bills and we all have a commitment to reduce our carbon footprint in line with Diocesan policies.”

The Diocese of London is the Church of England’s largest Diocese and has set a target of reducing its carbon emissions by at least 20.12% by 2012.

The panels are expected to meet almost half (47%) of the energy requirements at St Silas.

Sam Bond

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