 | | Solar flair: the CIS Tower |
The Manchester-based Co-op Group - the world's largest co-operative society - has a history of being ethically and environmentally ‘right on’. So when the mosaic tiles started falling off the company's CIS Tower in Manchester, it wasn’t long before a green solution was put forward: solar panels. Liz Thompson is an Environmental Adviser for CIS. She says the project was the result of some green thinking at the Co-op: "What could we do that was innovative and help towards the renewables target? So then we thought: putting up PV panels would be one way of keeping the striking visual appearance of the building, it would solve the problem of the mosaic tiles falling off, and also it was a unique way of generating on-site renewable electricity.” | "The PV panels actually convert daylight into electricity. So the fact that the sun isn’t shining means they're still generating power." | | Liz Thompson, CIS |
Over the past 12 months, the 25-storey building has been covered in more than 7,000 photovoltaic (PV) cells - or solar panels - and towards the end of March 2006, the Solar Tower will go live, generating electricity from sunlight. It’s the biggest vertical solar array in Europe and it’s estimated that it will kick out 180,000 units of renewable electricity each year – enough energy to make 10 million cups of tea or 7 million pieces of toast. You can see exactly how much power is being generated is shown on a digital meter in the lobby of the building. Solar power - in Manchester? As the tallest office building outside London, the 400 foot CIS Tower has long been a landmark of the city. Now it’s become a beacon of renewable energy, with its hi-tech coat of dark blue solar panels.
 | | Green: Liz Thompson of CIS |
But Manchester is hardly the Costa del Sol. So will it work on a cloudy day in the Rainy City? “People often think that PV panels only work in sunlight,” says Liz. “They actually convert daylight into electricity. So the fact that the sun isn’t shining every day, means that they’re not generating as much, but they still are generating electricity.” Unfortunately, solar power doesn’t come cheap. The project has cost £5.5m, supported by grants from the North West Regional Development Agency and the DTI who included the Solar Tower in its list of on the top ten renewable energy projects of 2005. The project may be expensive, but it's proving popular. According to Liz Thompson, the Co-op’s Solar Tower is now seen as something of an eco-tourist attraction. And if it helps the planet, she says it's worthwhile: “We’ve had a lot of interest. We’ve had enquiries from far and wide from people finding out about the project to see if it can be replicated elsewhere. "It’s great not just for the image of the Co-op but something needs to be done to tackle climate change. It’s a real concern and we’re just hoping that every little bit than everyone can do will all help.” | 
