Transport for London to put solar to work on the Underground

Transport for London, the largest single consumer of electricity in London, is looking for a partner to develop purpose-built solar farms to connect to the London Underground network.

TfL’s electricity consumption of around 1.6 Terawatt hours (TWh) a year is equivalent to the electricity consumed by 12% of all the homes in London.

The new project aims to bring up to 64 megawatts (MW) of electricity to the network, which is around 5% of the what’s needed to run the Tube network.

It will look at developing and connecting solar infrastructure near to the TfL network, helping towards the target of using 100% renewable source electricity across TfL’s operations by 2030.

TfL will receive zero-carbon electricity directly from a local facility, bypassing the National Grid’s centralised sources and reducing pressure on the central electricity grids. It is expected that, in the longer term, private wire schemes could generate financial savings, bypassing some of the costs associated with delivery of power through the National Grid.

The scheme is part of a wide ambition to help deliver the Mayor’s target of a net zero carbon London by 2030. Elsewhere support vehicles and buses are being transitioned to electric and TfL is developing projects to improve energy efficiency and identify opportunities to generate renewable energy across its estate. 

TfL is also converting lighting within stations, bus shelters and on trains to LEDs, which use up to 60 per cent less energy than traditional lighting, while achieving around a 10 per cent increase in brightness. TfL expects to have all bus shelters, including those used in advertising panels, converted to LEDs in the coming months.

Lilli Matson, TfL’s Chief Safety Health Environment Officer, said: ‘As London’s strong, green heartbeat, we’re unlocking new ways to make our network and the energy we consume greener. We’re inviting bidders to help us deliver purpose-built solar photovoltaic (PV) farms for the Tube network, in a move to make the energy we use and rely on cleaner, greener and potentially more cost-efficient.

‘By opening up new opportunities in the energy market and creating green jobs along the way, this is a start of a long-term journey to decarbonise London’s iconic transport system. We want to stay ahead of the curve and make a significant contribution to the acceleration of Great Britain’s grid transition towards net zero.’

Mete Coban, Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, said: ‘The Mayor has ambitious goals to cut London’s carbon footprint, so powering London’s world-leading transport system with green energy is a clear win-win. Installing solar panels as a source of renewable energy is one of many ways organisations in London can lower their carbon footprint.

‘Not only will the solar panels help TfL to cut running costs and save passengers money, they will also create green jobs while helping TfL to reduce its carbon emissions.’

Frank Gordon, Director of Policy at The Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology, said: ‘We welcome this innovative approach from TfL to procuring renewable power for their network, as well as the wider ambition to use 100 per cent renewable source electricity across TfL’s operations by 2030.

‘As one of the largest procurers of electricity in the South East this is a considerable opportunity for the solar industry to partner with a leading public organisation and start to roll out innovative solutions for decarbonising our energy supplies. As the UN’s recent warnings on likely future temperature rise make clear, the time for such action is now and has never been more clear both environmentally but also economically, with the spikes in fossil fuel bills in recent times.’

Rosie Allen, Policy Adviser at the Green Alliance, said: “‘It’s exciting to see this innovation into powering London’s Tube network with solar. TfL is continuing to trailblaze on sustainable transport. Soon the District Line won’t be the only green route on the Tube!’