30 CONTEXT 185 : SEPTEMBER 2025 MORWENNA SLADE Successful solar generation in the historic environment With listed buildings and historic sites needing to adapt for positive climate action, achieving consent and managing risk depends on understanding each site in detail. The UK’s historic built environment stands testament to sustainable, often innovative, and resilient adaptation through the ages.That solar generation can be successfully installed on historic and listed buildings has been proven, but as we see greater numbers of installations, we need to consider the implications for asset management, maintenance and fire safety. These broader, longer-term considerations go beyond the visual and aesthetic impact balanced with significance and should be addressed to ensure a truly successful and sustainable approach that supports the continued use and care of our heritage. In a critical step towards busting the myths that surround sensitively and successfully adapting our listed buildings, a swath of new advice and guidance has been published by Historic England, CADW and Historic Environment Scotland, highlighting how listed buildings can and should evolve to actively contribute to positive climate action. Aimed at a professional and technical audience, the guidance supports professionals and owners alike to competently assess the most impactful measures for individual buildings and meet their requirements. It is important, however, for heritage professionals not to assume that one mitigation or adaptation measure fits all situations. Solar panels are, perhaps, one of the most hotly contested mitigation measures used within the historic built environment, with good arguments for and against played out over some of our most iconic buildings. York minister, King’s College Chapel and Gloucester Cathedral have all completed installations in the last few years, yet York Minster precinct, with solar tiles on the roof of the old Refectory building and solar film incorporated into the roof of the recently constructed technology hub (Photo: Morwenna Slade) A solar array on the South Quire of York Minster (Photo: Morwenna Slade)
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