Liverpool renewable energy specialist Greenbridge Renewables in line for industry accolade for its work on a solar installation on a 51-storey tower

Liverpool-based Greenbridge Renewables has been shortlisted for an industry award after helping deliver an engineered solar installation on a 51-storey Manchester tower.

Greenbridge, which specialises in commercial solar, battery storage, EV charging and complex rooftop projects, has been nominated for the Product Innovation Award by Tall Buildings Media.

This nomination recognises the Powerframe Series Skyline system, developed and delivered through a joint venture involving Greenbridge Renewables, Glass Light and Power Engineering and RSK Milestone Solar & Renewables.

It was designed specifically to address the challenges of installing solar PV on tall and complex buildings, where conventional rooftop systems can face significant limitations around wind loading, structural movement, access, waterproofing and installation methodology.

Its first live high-rise deployment has been completed on Tower F2 in Manchester, at a roof level of approximately 187 metres.

The project required the team to address a range of practical and engineering challenges associated with high-rise construction, including component weight, hoist dimensions, lifting, installation sequencing, waterproofing and on-site verification.

Unlike conventional rooftop systems, Powerframe Skyline is designed around the building structure itself.

Its load path is engineered from the photovoltaic glass through a structural module and sub-frame, before transferring into the primary building structure through deep mechanical anchoring.

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Chris Acton, founder and managing director of Greenbridge, said: “Tall buildings present a completely different set of challenges for solar, and this project shows that with the right engineering and collaboration, height does not have to be a barrier to renewable energy.”

David Hunt, non-executive director and fractional sales director at Greenbridge, added: “The key point is that solar at height is now much more achievable, but it requires a different way of thinking. You cannot simply take a standard rooftop system and expect it to work in the same way 150 or 180 metres above ground.”