Professional Photographer Mark Carline has won Professional Photographer of the Year 2026 in the Net Zero category with his photo of the solar panels on the roof of a public building.
Storyhouse is widely recognised across the region as a pioneering model for sustainable community spaces. The building itself is an award-winning example of regional urban innovation: a major retrofitting project that successfully transformed a defunct, 1930s Art Deco Odeon cinema into a thriving modern theatre, library, and cinema.
Mark said; “The vast solar infrastructure on its roof is rarely seen and this image represents a critical step forward for urban centres throughout the North West and North Wales. It proves that energy-intensive, public-facing cultural institutions can radically reduce their reliance on the regional grid. By demonstrating how a large-scale, 312-panel photovoltaic array can be seamlessly integrated into a dense conservation area—with the historic towers of Chester Cathedral visible in the distance—this location stands as a shining beacon of municipal progress toward net zero.
While thousands of visitors utilise Storyhouse daily, this massive clean-energy operation works silently overhead. The cutting-edge, geometric lines of the modern solar panels are framed by the traditional brick chimneys and tiled rooftops of the surrounding historic city. It tells a story of ecological evolution, showing that a community venue dedicated to stories can rewrite its own environmental narrative—slashing carbon emissions and proving that a sustainable future can be built directly on top of our cultural past.”
The judges’ were pleased make the award to Mark saying: “A well contextualised image that could almost be called “The light that sustains us” in reference to the spiritual message of the Cathedral in the background. An excellent use of geometry and scale which also illustrates how public cultural institutions can embrace decarbonisation. Strong regional relevance and clear environmental message.”