The South Bank Tower

This investment company appointed Mace, an established construction firm, to complete the work. Due to our long-standing relationship with Mace since 2011, we were contracted by the developers to refurbish South Bank Tower.

The need to refurbish the tower set the wheels in motion for us to design and install a 26 kWp solar PV system on the summit of one of central London’s tallest and iconic building. However, the size of the building presented a logistical challenge, and proved no easy feat.

OUR SOLUTION

As part of the refurbishment, the building was also increased in height with the addition of 11 new floors, taking it to 42 storeys, totaling 155m.

Getting a solar system on top of a building this high was a complex process; it brought different challenges to the installation, in comparison to a two or three storey building. There was a lot of planning to be done around the logistics of the project and, on top of that, our team had to contend with the ever-changing British weather, which saw the installation process halt a few times due to the high winds.

The finished solar system complements the building’s new, modern look. Not only is it going to help reduce the tower’s annual energy costs, it’s also an attractive feature which may appeal to those looking for eco-friendly features to complement the luxury flats that are housed within the tower.
The 26 kWp solar PV system consisted of 100 SolarWorld 260W panels was designed and installed by EvoEnergy on the limited roof space on floors 41 and 42, offering tenants the added benefit of green energy.

THE RESULT

The 1970’s skyscraper, formerly known as Kings Reach Tower, was once home to Europe’s largest publishing company (IPC Magazines). Following a ten-year period of being derelict, it now hosts luxury apartments, restaurants, office space and retail units – and now a reliable source of green energy.

The project was tricky as it entailed extensive re-use of existing structures, basement construction adjacent to 100 occupied flats, new built construction and an 11 storey extension of an existing 31 storey tower. All of which is testament to our team’s engineering capability.

Having a sustainable element to this building transformation project was very important to Mace, so using solar technology was a no brainer. The residents of this building, along with the wider community, will benefit from the offset carbon in the atmosphere for many years to come, which makes us proud for what we achieved.