Ameresco, a specialist renewable energy infrastructure, won the contract to install, operate and maintain the solar membrane panels.
The roof design of the stadium has been adapted to incorporate the panels by Populous, the architect responsible for the original stadium design in 2012.
The 2012 Olympic venue required a bespoke system using light-weight thin film photovoltaic (PV) panels to minimise the roof weight loading, maximise energy generation and ensure compliance with fire regulations. The installation will be completed by summer 2025 and start generating electricity immediately.
The £4.35m project, backed by the Mayor of London’s green finance fund, will enable the venue to save more than 200 tonnes of carbon emissions a year and is expected to generate enough to power all of its major events.
The project is part of a range of measures to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions at London Stadium. These include solar membranes, LED lighting, chiller and air handling improvements and kiosk energy-saving devices.
These initial measures should reduce the stadium energy use by 1.9 million kWh by March 2025, and at that point the roof solar savings will drive a further reduction of at least 0.8 million kWh, and a further saving of between 10% and 15% on electricity costs. In total, between 2022 and 2026 the stadium will reduce energy drawn from the national grid by 3 million kWh – from 11.5million kWh per annum to 8.5 million.
