Climate change and responses to it are likely to have significant and wide-ranging implications for historic places of worship.
Adaptation of buildings to meet changing weather patterns and to make their use more energy efficient is increasingly common, while issues such as flooding and coastal erosion can have severe impacts in particular areas.
The installation of solar electric (photovoltaic) panels or ‘solar slates’ on an historic place of worship will potentially have an impact on the significance of the building and its setting.
To help local authorities and denominational decision-making bodies which are dealing with such proposals, English Heritage has published a guidance note setting out the policy context provided by government guidance and giving advice on how to assess a proposal with a view to minimising harm to the significance of an historic place of worship.
On the right hand side of this page you can find some case studies of historic places of worship that have successfully installed solar panels to provide a renewable energy source.
