News / Green Capital 2015
Video: dockside cranes lift new solar panels
With old technology lifting the new, solar panels were delivered onto the roof of the M Shed in distinctly Bristol fashion.
The dockside cranes are the last survivors of over 30 that operated in the 1950s and were restored by volunteers from the Bristol Industrial Museum.
As well as serving as a reminder of Bristol’s industrial heritage, the cranes are still operational and are even used to deliver wedding couples having their reception at the M Shed.
But the electric cranes were used for a more practical function on Wednesday, lifting a new 50kW solar panel onto the museum’s roof on the first of a 10-day installation.
The installation is part of the council’s four-year, city-wide solar programme that will see solar panels installed on a range of public buildings throughout Bristol. Other completed schemes include the Horfield Leisure Centre and the Bristol City Council’s central offices.
The programme is in-keeping with the authority’s commitment to Bristol 2015 European Green Capital, by aiming to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and its utility bills. The council’s solar map estimates that there is enough decent roof space for solar energy to meet around one quarter of the city’s electricity needs.
Jody Lockyer, solar investment project manager for Bristol City Council, said: “We need to think intelligently about power usage. The solar PV will give the building substantial savings over the next 20 years. Energy efficiency is also very important.”
Upgrading the energy efficiency of the M Shed has decreased energy demands by 50 per cent, with improvements including sixteen windows having been replaced with natural ventilation.
All of the energy produced by the 50kW solar array will be used by the M Shed, supplying 10 per cent of its electricity demands. It will also serve as part of the museum’s own Green Capital contribution, along with the wildlife filmmaking exhibition Nature, Camera, Action!
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