Five new wind turbines have been given the green light to power a college and support a borough’s net zero ambitions.
London Design and Engineering UTC in the Royal Docks has secured planning permission for the rooftop turbines, which are expected to supply around 81 per cent of the building’s electricity.
Approved by Newham Council, the turbines will work alongside existing solar panels and planned battery storage to create a live renewable energy system for students to study and learn from.
Geoffrey Fowler, principal and CEO of London Design and Engineering UTC, said: "This is an exciting milestone for the College and for sustainable education. Our students will not simply study engineering, design and renewable energy, they will learn in a building that actively generates, stores and intelligently manages its own clean electricity.
"That creates a unique learning environment while demonstrating how existing buildings can play a major role in the transition to net zero."
The college educates around 900 students aged 14 to 19, as well as up to 50 apprentices, with a focus on design and engineering.
The wind turbines are fully enclosed with no exposed blades and designed to blend in with the building. They have been reviewed by London City Airport, which raised no objection.
Chris Griffin, CEO and founder of Hover Energy, said: "Eighty per cent of the buildings that will be standing in 2050 are already here today. If we are not retrofitting them, we are not getting to net zero.
"Resilience matters as much as carbon."
Share