London Design and Engineering UTC approves rooftop wind turbines to power campus

Newham Council granted planning permission for five vertical‑axis wind turbines on the roof of London Design and Engineering UTC in the Royal Docks. The enclosed turbines, supplied by Hover Energy, are designed to blend with the building and are expected to generate about 81 % of the college’s electricity.

The turbines will operate alongside the school’s existing solar panels and a planned battery‑storage system, managed by an intelligent microgrid control platform. The microgrid will balance generation, storage and demand in real time, creating a resilient, low‑carbon energy supply for the 900‑student campus and serving as a live learning environment for engineering and design students. Geoffrey Fowler, principal and CEO of the UTC, and Chris Griffin, CEO of Hover Energy, highlighted the project’s role in demonstrating how existing urban buildings can contribute to net‑zero goals.