London’s Therapia Lane trams depot in Croydon makes green transition through removal of fossil fuels and installation of hundreds of new solar panels.
Therapia Lane, where London Trams are based, has become Transport for London’s first depot to remove fossil gas usage by upgrading its heating system. It has also introduced on-site solar generation.
By adapting the depot in its biggest overhaul since it opened 27 years ago, the new heating and power system prepares the site for the future and ensures operational sites play a role in reducing climate change impact. The heating system has been modernised with a range of low-carbon, electric heat pumps and infrared panel heaters, replacing the unsustainable fossil fuel gas boilers. The infrared panel heaters target areas where staff work most, minimising ambient heat loss and achieving higher energy performance compared to traditional central systems. The heating system upgrade has enhanced hot water delivery through the installation of energy-efficient, on-demand electric water heaters.
The additional electricity consumption from the new heating system will be offset by using 1,800m2 of solar panels on the roof of the depot, which will generate 187 kWp of energy. Energy savings will come from energy efficiency measures such as improved insulation and LED lighting, which will also create a better, brighter, and more comfortable working environment for staff. The measures are expected to cut carbon emissions by around 183 tCO2e annually – similar to the emissions from a modern housing development – delivering significant long-term sustainability benefits alongside operational cost savings. Work at Therapia Lane, carried out in a live operating environment working around the clock, will also help inform efforts to decarbonise other active operational buildings on TfL’s estate as well as depots across the country.
The project was part funded by the Government's Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme as well as the Public Sector Low Carbon Skills Fund. The funding is delivered by Salix and run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Whilst the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme helps fund energy efficiency works, the Low Carbon Skills Fund has funded heat decarbonisation plans and design. As part of efforts to accelerate decarbonisation under the fund, major upgrades including air and water source heat pumps, LED lighting and using smart sensor technology to adjust ventilation, cooling and heating levels in real time at TfL’s main head office Palestra House are in the process of cutting fossil fuel reliance and reducing carbon emissions by more than 1,500 tonnes annually. Similar technology is planned for other offices above stations like Aldgate, Baker Street, Oxford Circus and Victoria.
The upgrade of the Therapia Lane depot is just part of TfL's wider work to further decarbonise London's transport network and adapt its systems to reduce the impacts of climate change. As one of the largest consumers of electricity in the UK, TfL has entered a Power Purchase Agreement that will see a solar facility built to generate about 80 Gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity per year when completed – enough clean power to run both the DLR and Tram network for 15 years. TfL has also launched a private wire tender to receive zero-carbon electricity from solar farms connected directly to the London Underground network, bypassing the central grid. This could generate up to 64 megawatts (MW) of electricity in the long term. The outcome of the tender will be announced once the process completes.
TfL is also working to further reduce its environmental impact across its wider network by upgrading lights to use LEDs to reduce electricity consumption, as well as improving biodiversity and delivering other forms of green infrastructure such as 390,000 square metres of wildflower verges on its road network. It is also maintaining and developing urban greening features, especially in outer London where there is more greenery, which can support better drainage and reduce flooding.
