Over 4,400 solar panels compose the roof of Blackfriars bridge in the City of London , making it the largest solar-powered bridge in the world . The old Victorian bridge was built across the river Thames in 1886 , but unlike other bridges throughout the city , it also operates as a railway station to serve commuters from all the surrounding areas , while offering a stunning view . Being the first station to span the river Thames , the bridge has always had high demands on power . In 2009 it received a makeover : the wrought-iron bridge was dismantled and rebuilt to generate its own power using the sun . A new roof was installed , housing solar panels over 6000 square meters , which is enough to cover 23 tennis courts . On a sunny day , the canopy can produce up to a megawatt of electricity . The bridge reopened in 2012 and the installation of the array was part of a larger upgrading project involving the station as a whole to cater for more passengers and improve services . `` It generates enough electricity to make about 80,000 cups of tea a day , '' explains Chris Binns , head of engineering at Network Rail who led the upgrade . The use of solar power now provides up to 50 percent of the energy needed at the station and is estimated to reduce carbon emissions by 511 tonnes per year . The increased production of solar panels worldwide , particularly in China , has brought the previously high expense of solar cells plummeting down to make designs like this more affordable . `` It 's a wonderful showcase of how Britain can actually build something that 's significant , '' says Professor Ned Ekins-Daukes , an expert on solar energy at Imperial College London . `` This is the most powerful bridge in the world and it 's using solar power in Britain , not a country well known for its sunshine . '' Cities across the world are increasingly harnessing the sun 's energy , with landmarks as iconic as the Eiffel tower and Taj Mahal planning to incorporate solar panels into their architecture . If the gray skies of London can accomplish such results across the Thames , imagine the potential elsewhere . Read more from Future Cities : . Shared space , where the streets have no rules . Invisible solar panels hidden in your windows ? They 're coming . Brazil 's idea for future mobility ? The good old bus .
Blackfriars bridge in the City of London is the world 's largest solar-powered bridge . Over 4,400 photovoltaic cells occupy a roof area of 6000 square meters . Clean energy provides 50 percent of the requirements of Blackfriars railway station , located on the bridge . The solar panels are connected to an overhead power line that runs from the Thames Barrier at Battersea Power Station through central London and into Surrey.