Mayor’s fund provides ‘game changing’ solar at the London Stadium

London Stadium – formerly the Olympic Stadium – is to have 6,500 m² of solar membrane panels installed on its roof, which is expected to provide enough power to cover all the major events held there over a year. 

A bespoke system is being installed, using light-weight thin film photovoltaic (PV) panels to reduce the weight on the roof, maximise energy generation and ensure compliance with fire regulations.

The panels will generate 850,000-kWh a year when they become operational next summer, equivalent to the demands of the stadium’s typical annual schedule of around 20 football matches, four concerts, two Major League Baseball matches and an international athletics event.

A number of other energy and emission reducing schemes are also being implemented at the stadium, including LED lighting, chiller and air handling improvements and kiosk energy-saving devices, backed up by a campaign to encourage staff to reduce energy consumption.

These will have reduced energy use by 1.9 million kWh before the solar installation even comes on line. By 2026, the stadium will be drawing 3 million kWh less from the National Grid than it did in 2022. 

The solar installation – which will save more than 200 tonnes of carbon emissions a year – is the first project to receive funding from the Mayor of London’s £500m Green Finance Fund, £4.35 million in this case.

Mete Coban, Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy said: ‘These solar panels are a game changer for the London Stadium, turning it into one of the world’s greenest sports and concert venues and hugely reducing its energy use and running costs. The Mayor’s Green Finance Fund offers exciting opportunities to help public sector bodies lower their carbon footprint and become more sustainable, and I encourage organisations to get involved as the next round of funding opens and we continue to build a greener, fairer London for everyone.’

Graham Gilmore, Chief Executive of LS185, said: ‘We are committed to becoming one of the most sustainable live event venues in the world. This investment means that we can drive down our carbon footprint and become the venue of choice for artists and event owners who are serious about sustainability. This ambitious large-scale investment will reduce our energy costs, but most importantly our carbon footprint. We are proud to take the lead in tackling climate change, and especially pleased to be able to power concerts and other event days from energy generated on-site.’

Mark Apsey, MBE, Managing Director of UK Operations at Ameresco, said: ‘Contributing to London Stadium’s legacy and revolutionizing its energy infrastructure with state-of-the-art solar technology is an immense honour. The cutting-edge thin film PV solution will generate significant clean energy annually and contribute to a greener future for this iconic venue.’