London Stadium is conducting a feasibility study concerning the potential installation of solar panels that would cover the roof of the venue.
The Evening Standard newspaper said the scheme is being led by the stadium’s owners, London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC). The LLDC’s latest budget document is said to project that the venture could cost around £4m (€4.54m/$4.81m) over two years, investment that would be recouped after just five years through an estimated generation of roughly three million kilowatts of power each year.
The LLDC states work on the project could begin in “mid-2023”, with the installation potentially going operational before April 2024. A tender process to secure a partner for the scheme was launched in December stating that the “key driver” for the project is to significantly reduce carbon emissions, in line with a commitment to reach a ‘net zero’ carbon position by 2030.
A London Stadium spokeswoman said: “The provision of energy through solar or similar technology has been explored previously but was not possible with the technology available at the time. Recent developments suggest that the previous barriers – which included the weight loading required upon the roof – may now be addressable.
“The purpose of the feasibility study is to explore this and quantify the cost and benefits achievable. The outcome of this will determine how self-sufficient the stadium could become in the future.”
The proposal for the home of English Premier League football club West Ham United, and former Olympic Stadium for the 2012 Games, has also won the backing of London Mayor Sadiq Khan. City Hall has agreed to contribute £45,000 towards a feasibility study and business case for the venture.
Khan said: “I always support innovation in our city, I always support (people in) our city being pioneers for issues. London is the sporting capital of the world. Let’s wait and see how these ideas develop – but I’m really glad to see West Ham winning at last.”
