Europe' allows the installation of 'solar cells' on old buildings
City councils across Europe are starting to ease restrictions on older buildings to install solar panels, in a bid to save on electricity bills and push for cleaner energy.
With the increasing demand for green energy, many historic buildings across Europe have installed solar panels using innovative and creative techniques. One such example is the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao , a museum of modern and contemporary art in Spain.
The Guggenheim Bilbao recently installed 300 solar panels on its roof as part of measures to help the museum reach its goal of becoming “ carbon neutral ” by 2030. The installation of 80 kilowatts of solar panels will provide lighting for the exhibition halls, reducing the museum’s electricity usage by around 5%.
In June 2024, the city of Amsterdam announced that it would allow the installation of solar panels on protected buildings and monuments by 2025, while the UK government announced that homeowners and historic buildings in England will no longer need to apply for permits to install energy-saving technologies such as solar panels and heat pumps under measures set by the Ministry of Housing.
While these measures may raise concerns about heritage preservation, companies are rushing to design and manufacture solar panels that can be integrated more seamlessly into older buildings. One such innovation is called “ building -integrated photovoltaics ” ( BIPV ) .
These types of solar panels can change the appearance of roof tiles, slate, glass and even stained glass, reducing energy costs and increasing sustainability for older buildings, while maintaining their original aesthetics.
