Co-operative Insurance Solar Tower
In 2005 we transformed our office in Manchester into the largest vertical solar array in Europe.
The unique £5.5 million project on what is the tallest office building in the UK outside London, began in 2004 when old mosaic tiles began falling from the building. Thinking of a good long term solution was tricky, since traditional cladding would have had a negative ecological impact.
It was eventually decided to try the unique solution of cladding the tower with something a bit different - a grand total of 7,244 solar photovoltaic panels, designed to convert daylight into electricity. Once placed on the tower, Prime Minister Tony Blair flicked the switch in November 2005 to get the panels going.
Since then, the panels have created 180,000 units of renewable electricity each year - enough energy to make 9,000,000 cups of tea. The 400ft high array of dark blue solar panels will work regardless of the weather and certainly stand out on the Manchester skyline.
There’s even a peregrine falcon nesting box up on top with a camera installed to keep an eye on the birds’ comings and goings – this isn’t just a normal office block, this tower could soon be an ecotourism hotspot!
