Sun roof for HSBC's commercial property

HSBC has installed solar power roof panels on its Canary Wharf offices, making it the tallest headquarters in Europe to use the technology, the company said.

The bank has installed 617 sq m of monocrystalline photovoltaic panels on the roof of its office tower at 8 Canada Square.

According to reports the 422 panels will generate enough electricity to power 20 homes a year and more than 1.5 kilowatt hours of energy over the lease of the building.

They have been developed by Sharp and will withstand wind speeds of up to 140 mph.

A spokeswoman for the bank told BusinessGreen that the project is part of a wider environmental efficiency programme.

Since 2004 energy use at the headquarters has been cut by 20 per cent per employee, she said.

The 200 metre tower was designed by Foster and Partners and took five years to build, with completion in 2002.

It houses the bank's 8,000 staff over 100,000 sq m of floor space on 39 office floors, three trading halls and three transfer floors.