One step closer to Net Zero

In another step towards the long-term aim of being carbon-neutral by 2030, the Cathedral has installed 93 solar panels on the roof of the Cloister, and Bishop Nicholas was invited onto the roof to see them in action.

He said:

“The Church of England is working hard towards a Net Zero carbon footprint by 2030. As the Church of England’s lead bishop for the environment I am delighted that Salisbury Cathedral is making a contribution that takes us towards this.

"With clear purpose and helpful partnerships even iconic buildings can make a difference towards sustainability. In these strange times the possibilities of living differently seem all the more important and this project even more significant.”

The Cathedral has already achieved a Silver Award under leading charity A Rocha's Eco Church scheme.

The 37 kW installation which will be completed this month, providing 33,708 kWh of clean energy to Salisbury Cathedral and reducing its carbon footprint by 11,764 kilograms per year.

The panels are located on the South Cloister roof and cannot be seen from the ground. Only visitors climbing the Spire will get a glimpse of them.

The project has been under development since late 2017, when Salisbury Community Energy approached the Cathedral about a possible installation. Planning permission was granted in March of this year.

Salisbury Community Energy partnered with Schools Energy Cooperative in 2019 to deliver the project, and the money was raised in November 2019 through a local community share offer. The panels are collectively owned by small, local and ethical investors who want to encourage more renewable energy generation.

The project has been designed and installed by Joju Solar, who are a leading PV installer. In addition to the Cathedral, another 4 solar PV installations have been completed across Salisbury, totalling 206kW of capacity.

Canon Robert Titley, Canon Treasurer of Salisbury Cathedral said:

“We are delighted to be the second English cathedral to install solar panels as part of our continuing green initiatives, which have included draft proofing our medieval building, moving to green tariff energy and installing LED lighting. We are called to preach good news, and through this we are taking another small step toward being good news for God’s earth and not just part of the problem.”