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Genevans sign up for stadium solar energy scheme

Services Industriels de Genève (SIG) has announced that a solar energy project at the Stade de Genève in the Swiss city of Geneva has been fully subscribed, adding that its success will see it pursue other such schemes.

SIG is a provider of utilities in the canton of Geneva and has been behind the installation of 5,000 square metres of solar panels on the roof of Stade de Genève, the 30,000-seat home of Super League football club Servette FC.

The Stade de Genève photovoltaic power plant is the third largest in the canton and the 5,400 shares in the ‘Mon m2 solaire’ project have been snapped up by around 2,100 customers in eight months. The power plant will produce more than 1 GWh of energy per year, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 370 Geneva households.

The stadium will consume 30% of the energy produced, with the rest distributed into the local grid. Mon m2 solaire shares were priced at CHF330 (£260/€308/$339) each, guaranteeing the buyer 100 kWh of green electricity for 20 years, the equivalent of the annual charge for an electric bicycle for two decades.

Participative power plants are designed to allow those who cannot install solar panels on their roof the ability to actively support the production of 100% renewable and local energy. Christian Brunier, director general of SIG, said: “On behalf of SIG, I salute the enthusiasm of Genevans for this innovative solution and their collective drive for green energy. It is also a source of motivation for SIG to pursue this approach. Other participative power plant projects are being studied.”

The canton of Geneva has set itself the target of producing 150 GWh of photovoltaic electricity by 2025. SIG said the Stade de Genève solar power plant is making a significant contribution in progress towards this target.

Image: SIG