London's 38-storey 'Walkie-Talkie' tower might be best known for reflecting solar rays to melt paintwork on cars or even fry eggs on the pavement, but now it can claim to be making better use of the sun's power after a solar array was installed on the building's rooftop.

 

EvoEnergy confirmed this week that it has completed a 250-panel system on the roof of 20 Fenchurch Street, which at 160 meters makes it one of the UK's highest solar installations.

 

The 50kW system was installed alongside the glass roof, which sits above the building's Sky Garden that opened to the public this week.

 

EvoEnergy's commercial project manager, James Sutton, said the height of the project presented fresh challenges, with the company having to use more than 90 meters of cabling to connect the system."The finished solar system, sitting high above the building's stunning Sky Garden, looks fantastic," he said. "It's been a job well done by the whole team from start to finish."

 

However, the Sky Garden has already attracted some criticism, with accusations the developers have failed to fully honor a promise to provide a new public space.

 

Observer architecture critic Rowan Moore wrote a scathing review of the development this week, arguing it did not qualify as a park. "This is not a place where adults or children could walk a dog, jog, have picnics, paddle in ponds, play on swings, kick a ball, build snowmen, or sunbathe," he wrote. "It has 9,000 square feet of green space - the same sort of area as a very generous house, but not a park."

 

Members of the public can access the rooftop garden, but have to register at least three days in advance and can only stay until 6pm. After that, only customers to the restaurant and bars can take advantage of the garden.