Renewable energy meets Cambridge listed building
These ‘solar trees’ created to serve the archive stores at Cambridge University Library are designed to generate over 3.8 MWh a year. Designed by architectural firm Sadler Brown and photo-voltaic specialist EvoEnergy, the trees are installed in the grounds surrounding this Grade 2 listed building.
The trees are designed to generate at least 10% of the annual energy requirement of the final archive store. Inspiration for their design was taken from the windows of the original library buildings, which are reminiscent of Britain’s traditional red telephone boxes. They are part of the final stage of a £40 million extension to the library and are about 5 m high, with a custom-made steel ‘trunk’ and 16 bespoke mono-crystalline panels fixed to the steel using a specially engineered silicone bond.
