St Michael's Withington can claim to be the first zero carbon church in the country, after a project a few years ago cut their energy use, installed new heating, and put solar panels on the roof. While ordinarily a clamping system would be used on a copper roof to avoid drilling, this solution was not suitable for the very small, un-pinned seams of the copper panel joints at St Michael's. Fitting the panels to the metal roof required an innovative self-weighted fixing system.
By implementing this thorough programme of carbon-reducing measures, the church is now in the fortunate position of producing surplus electricity, which is exported into the national grid. This particular case study demonstrates the potential for great environmental benefits from such a project, as well as setting a strong example for how sustainable outcomes can be aligned with the protection of historic features.
Read the Case Study below.