Gloucester Cathedral's solar panels blessed, switched on and the tower lit green

The 21st November 2016 will go down in history as the day the Dean of Gloucester blessed and switched on Gloucester Cathedral's solar panels for the very first time.

150 solar panels were installed on the nave roof at the beginning of November, which saw Gloucester Cathedral become the oldest cathedral in the world to have a PV system of this size.

Around 150 people including the Bishop of Gloucester attended the cathedral to celebrate the occasion, where the panels were blessed by the Very Reverend Stephen Lake. With the cathedral tower illuminated in green light, it really was a special occasion and one we certainly won't forget.

                                            The Dean of Gloucester blessing the solar panels

For guests at the cathedral, locally sourced hot apple juice was on offer whilst the Dean gave a talk in the nave. In the background the timelapse footage was played on a big screen to show the project from its beginning to the finished article. This was followed by the day's Evensong.

The Dean of Gloucester spoke to BBC Radio Gloucestershire before the blessing:

“It's actually an incredible installation, it's so well done by Mypower... It's a work of art when you can see it and of course when people do in time go up one of the tower tours, that's the only place they'll be able to see the solar panels from."

Ben Harrison, Managing Partner of Mypower, described the emotions of completing this hugely exciting project:

“From the first moment I stepped onto the roof of this incredible building, I knew it was going to be a challenging but thrilling project to be involved in. Everyone has worked together in full cohesion to deliver a common goal, to protect the historic building and create a green energy source for the long-term sustainable future of the cathedral. We are all incredibly proud of what has been achieved - it has been the opportunity of a lifetime."

This is a unique solar PV installation for Mypower as our usual customers are those with agricultural buildings and commercial properties. For more information on how your business can significantly reduce its energy costs you can visit our contact page here.