City South Manchester Housing Trust

Photon Energy recently completed the installation of 45kWp of photovoltaic (PV) systems on four 10 storey tower blocks for City South Manchester Housing Trust. Working in conjunction with Wates, the installations were part of a £7.5 million refurbishment of the tower blocks.

Technical details of the PV systems

The PV systems were installed on four, ten storey tower blocks in Hulme, Manchester – St Georges, Ledburn, Westcott and Thomas. The systems were bolted to the standing seam roofs on the blocks using a proprietary mounting system. The modules are mounted at an angle above the roof to optimize their performance. Predicted energy generation from the systems was 8,650 kWh per year for the three smaller systems, and 10,200 kWh per year for the larger system. This will save 20.5 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year between

the four systems. Each system is connected to the landlord’s supply to provide power for communal lighting. A display has also been installed in each of the blocks to show the residents how much energy the systems have generated.

Tom Rock, Head of Property Assurance at City South Manchester Housing Trust, said “From CSM’s perspective the installation of PV panels to power four of our multistorey blocks has been a pilot and an introduction to the technology. Without the support and guidance of Photon Energy we would have missed the opportunity to introduce this technology at this time. We are looking forward to working with Photon Energy again on Phases 2 and 3 of this project.”

Further information

Built in the early 1960s, inherent design problems in these tower blocks resulted in untraceable leaks, while the existing concrete and brick exterior was deteriorating and difficult to insulate. Rather than resort to demolition or a programme of regular, costly and intrusive repairs, CSM took the decision to modernise the tower blocks and have extended their life expectancy by 30 years. The tower blocks have been fully insulated, given a modern new look and covered with a striking aluminium and clay tile outer skin that radically changes their appearance, makes them wind and watertight, and dramatically improves their energy efficiency – reducing residents fuel bills by an estimated 25%.