184 solar panels are being installed on York Minster’s roof in a major step towards reducing the carbon footprint of one of the largest cathedral estates in the world. The solar panels are expected to generate nearly 70,000 kWh of energy each year, around a third of the Minster’s total energy consumption, reducing annual carbon emissions by approximately 13 tonnes of CO₂.

The panels, which are currently being installed on the South Quire roof, join a raft of other solar initiatives already generating electricity across the precinct. In 2021, York Minster secured planning permission and Listed Building Consent to install the first solar slates on a Grade II Listed Building within York. The roof formed part of the York Minster Refectory, which was opened by His Majesty King Charles III in April 2023. By the end of 2024, the cathedral will be producing 118,000 kWh of energy per year, enough to power 44 average UK homes.

Harnessing solar energy is a cornerstone of the Minster’s drive to reduce its carbon footprint in line with the Church of England’s ambition to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030. The installation is one of many ground-breaking projects taking place across the precinct as part of its Neighbourhood Plan, which was adopted in 2022 following public referendum and 32 weeks of public consultation. The Plan recently attracted an award for “Innovator of the Year” at the Future for Religious Heritage, the European network for historic places of worship. At its heart, the Plan is an unflinching commitment to address the climate emergency with an ambition to decarbonise the precinct through extensive retrofit and the introduction of renewables.

Alex McCallion, Director of Works and Precinct, said: “I think we all realise the scale of the challenges facing the world at the moment. I am pleased that the Minster is taking great strides to tackle these challenges, making generational, large-scale changes across the Minster Precinct to combat climate change by reducing our dependency on fossil fuels.

“Doing this requires a real team effort, whether it is our Works Department adapting to new, more sustainable workspaces and equipment, or our Gardens Team creating new green spaces for the public to enjoy.

“I am really proud of how, at every level of the Minster’s operation, we are rising to the challenge of Net Zero by 2030.”

Through close partnership working with City of York Council, Historic England and other key stakeholders, the Minster has created a suite of bespoke planning policies enabling other initiatives, including the retrofitting of many of the historic buildings under the Minster’s care, to improve their energy efficiency, a water recycling system for the Minster’s new stone-cutting saws, the introduction of electric car chargers, and improvements to the green spaces around the Minster.