English Premiership rugby union club Northampton Saints has partnered with solar technology company Solivus to transform unusable roof-space at its stadium into a clean energy asset.
The project sees cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens become one of the first stadiums in the country to implement a new type of solar technology. Solivus has supplied and installed more than 600 ultra thin-layer solar panels on the roof of the Church’s and Barwell Stands, meaning all suitable roof space at the ground is now being utilised to create renewable energy.
The venture is expected to save the club £250,000 (€293,200/$312,400) over the next 20 years. Julia Chapman (left of main picture), finance and operations director at Northampton Saints, said: “There are thousands of buildings with roof space like ours that you can’t use for any other purpose. This gives us commercial benefit, as well as reducing our carbon footprint so it’s worth considering.”
Commenting on the potential of thin-film solar solutions, CEO of Solivus, Jo Parker-Swift (right of main picture), added: “The rising cost of energy and the question of energy security due to the invasion of Ukraine is making businesses consider alternative sources of energy, including self-generated solar energy.
“A stumbling block for solar uptake has been providing panelling that is light enough and effective enough to take advantage of unusable rooftop space. Our innovative ‘skin like’ thin-film solar solutions fit most roofs, thus eliminating this barrier to adoption.
“Rolling out this type of solar technology across the UK would make a huge leap towards the decarbonisation of the UK’s energy.”
Images: Solivus
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