Edinburgh Castle has unveiled its newly installed solar panels, part of Historic Environment Scotland’s (HES) continued programme to reduce energy use across the historic properties in its care.
The solar panels have been installed on the roof of the Scottish National War Memorial, with the works funded by Scottish Enterprise. Due to the War Memorial’s elevated and open location at the summit of Castle rock, as well as its surrounding high parapet, the panels are not visible from any other vantage point within the site, city or surrounding areas.
The installation design has also sensitively taken into account both the cultural significance of the monument and its historic fabric. Prior to commencing the works, HES engaged with range of stakeholders as part of the planning process, including working closely with the trustees who manage the building.
The renewable energy generated by the new solar panels is projected to reach approximately 26,500 kWh per year, equivalent to around 6,680kg of CO2. It is expected that this will more than offset the electrical consumption of the War Memorial building, with any additional energy generated being used elsewhere within the site. This will help further the significant carbon reduction efforts at Edinburgh Castle in recent years, which have achieved a 29% reduction in energy consumption and 46% decrease in associated carbon emissions at the site before the Covid pandemic.
from Historic Environment Scotland, read more here