Ding Dong Merrily on High

KINGS COLLEGE LESSONS AND CAROLS TO BE POWERED BY SOLAR

As the light fades at 3pm this Christmas Eve and a chorister steps forward, in the historic Kings College Chapel in Cambridge, to begin their solo of the opening verse of Once in Royal David's city, this year's world-famous Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols service will be powered by solar panels.

The service may look and sound the same, but after the lead roof was restored earlier this year, around 438 photovoltaic panels were installed which now provide all the chapel's electrical needs, with the excess being used in other college buildings.

The project, exclusively funded by philanthropic donations made to the Chapel and College over many years, wasn't all plane sailing according to Shane Alexander, Head of Capital Projects at the college "We wanted to lower our carbon footprint, but we never thought we would get permission." However the move has dramatically reduces the chapel's carbon footprint and will save the college a significant sum financially, with sunlight powering the chapel and putting 5% back into the college. "Even though it's not been the sunniest summer, we have beaten the proposed targets".

The PVs have produced enough energy to power 80 average homes, which is more than enough for the chapel, and the rest for the college and Shane and his team are now considering ground source heat pumps to heat the chapel, meaning a future Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols could be held in an entirely carbon neutral building!

Dean of Chapel Rev'd Dr Stephen Cherry said: "The panels were added as part of a much-needed project to repair woodwork and replace the lead of the great roof. This, to me, adds to their significance. Preserving what we have inherited and taking responsibility for the future go hand in hand. I long for a future where every church that has a Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols has solar panels on its roof."

Pic credit: Main image by Leon Hargreaves, courtesy of King's College Cambridge