Case studies

Tommy Walsh, the UK’s favourite DIY TV presenter, selected Nu-Lok’s™ award-winning fully integrated solar (photovoltaic) roofing system for his Eco House TV series.

His challenge was to

• build a new home in 60 days for £60,000
• in the most eco-friendly and cost-effective manner possible
• using materials which were readily available and easy to use

The Nu-Lok™ roof Tommy installed consisted of

• 49m² of Nu-Lok’s™ innovative roofing system and
• 18 Green Frog™ solar PV panels with a yield of 1kWp (Kilowatt-Peak) of electricity in optimum conditions
• seamlessly integrated with 39m² of Penrhyn Heather Blue slate

Roofing and Solar Seamlessly Integrated

Tommy Walsh’s Eco House - broadcast on Discovery Real Time - sees Tommy and his team of dedicated workers push their talent and dexterity right to the edge, going beyond anything he has previously attempted on TV, with the task of building a new home in 60 days for £60,000.

Based in March, Cambridge, the house was built in the most eco- and cost-friendly manner possible, using construction materials which take into account eco benefits, cost, availability and ease of use. Tommy Walsh’s Eco House is guaranteed to influence and enthuse builders and home owners alike, making eco-smart living the next step in building better, affordable homes.

The roof installed on Tommy’s Eco House consists of 18 Green Frog™ solar PV panels, yielding 1kWp (Kilowatt-Peak) of electricity in optimum conditions, together with 39m² of Penrhyn Heather Blue slate, one of the finest quality slates in the world. These solar panels and slates have been seamlessly integrated by Tommy and his team with 49m² of Nu-Lok’s™ innovative roofing system, which replaces traditional wooden battens with a lightweight, galvanised steel grid system and provides a 50 year guarantee against colour fade and structural defects.

‘Shrinking the Footprint’ – and maintaining our historic buildings

The roofs were leaking again at St Silas, when the Junior Church, in partnership with Islington Council’s Green Living Centre, initiated a project to reduce their carbon footprint 18 months ago. Guided by the Revd Shaun Richards, parish priest in this deprived inner city area, the response of the Junior Church, parish and community to both challenges has been inspired. They decided that a large photovoltaic (PV) array should be incorporated into the re-roofing works that were required.

The electricity generated is expected to be equivalent to almost half the church’s consumption, with any surplus fed back into the national grid, which will reduce their emission of carbon dioxide. This case study examines the potential for installing photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal panels on the roofs of historic buildings. As well as describing techniques to reduce the visual impact, it sets the project in the context of government targets and the Church of England’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions, and reviews the technical and financial options.

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