Solarcentury helps London Transport go solar
The Mayor of London officially launched London's Vauxhall Cross Transport Interchange and Walworth Bus Depot today. Both buildings benefit from roof top solar photovoltaic systems, which silently generate energy for the buildings using nothing more than daylight. We designed and project managed both systems.
At the opening of the new Transport Interchange at Vauxhall Cross, Mayor Ken Livingstone joked that since the roof top solar PV system was commissioned two months ago it has generated enough clean electricity to avoid the emission of green house gas carbon dioxide equivalent to the "bodyweight of 11 politicians".
The striking 'fork' structure at Vauxhall Cross reaches skyward, capturing enough solar energy to provide a third of the 24-hour bus station's energy demand. Walworth Bus Garage, opened a century ago and recently redeveloped, now becomes the first bus garage in London to be solar powered with a simple roof mounted solar array. This energy helps to power machines, which is used to maintain part of the London Buses fleet. Together both systems will prevent the emission of 27 tonnes of CO2 every year.
TfL has also pioneered the use of solar energy for lighting bus stops, bus shelters and roadside ticket machines. Our Streetsmart® solar street furniture solutions have already been used to power bus shelters and bus stops throughout London as well as a trial solar powered ticket machine on Waterloo Bridge.
The solar panels on the Walworth Bus Depot were described as a start to the use of greater renewables in London. The Mayor went on to say that "solar will be integral in everything we do, one day solar panels will not be put on roofs, but the roofs themselves will be made of solar technologyÂ…this project is further proof that this is now a very real part of the construction of new infrastructure".