{"id":13418,"date":"2024-07-25T10:26:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-25T10:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aurorasolar.com\/?p=13418"},"modified":"2024-08-13T16:52:00","modified_gmt":"2024-08-13T16:52:00","slug":"put-solar-on-it-stade-de-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aurorasolar.com\/blog\/2024\/07\/18\/put-solar-on-it-stade-de-france\/","title":{"rendered":"Put solar on it: Stade de France"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s been well documented that the Paris Olympics will be the greenest<\/a> ever<\/a>. The organizers have the goal of halving the carbon footprint<\/a> of the games compared to previous years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From our own blog on the topic<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe organizers are targeting every source of emissions, with initiatives like low-carbon structures, renewable energy, sustainable catering, and responsible procurement strategies. They have set a target to not exceed 1.5 million tons of CO2, which is half the average carbon footprint of previous Summer Games.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A key part of this strategy involves using existing or temporary venues for a vast majority (95%) of the events. This includes the Stade de France \u2014 France\u2019s largest stadium. It\u2019s hosted everything from the World Cup, to the Euro Football Championship, and everything in between. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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France’s largest stadium, NBD. [Photo courtesy https:\/\/olympics.com\/en\/paris-2024\/venues\/stade-de-france<\/a>]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So, that\u2019s already a pretty sustainable choice. And, the stadium is already getting a makeover for the Olympics<\/a>. But, there is something missing. We\u2019ll give you a hint: They\u2019re black and they generate electricity, seemingly magically, from sunlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yep, the Stade de France needs solar panels. If you thought these games were sustainable already, just think of how green they\u2019ll be with an emissions-free power plant on top of the signature stadium. To see how many panels we could fit, our partners at projetsolaire<\/a> modeled out the stadium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modeling the roof<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Stade de France\u2019s roof is as complex as it is beautiful. Its website describes the details<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSuspended from 18 masts 61m high and 40m apart, it floats 42 metres above the pitch, protecting the 45 km of stands, which are partially removable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For solar purposes, the roof looks like a nice, gently sloped surface with some minor obstructions and those masts. (A quick disclaimer: We didn\u2019t do structural analysis for this piece, just looked at solar access and area.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, we need to measure how much sunlight it gets. We can see, generally, that it looks to be surrounded by low buildings, which is promising. Our irradiance map confirms excellent solar access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The verdict? Can confirm! Irradiance for almost the entire site looks promising. In fact, with the gentle slope of the roof, even north-facing surfaces work well for panels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All right, let\u2019s cut to the chase. Here\u2019s what a fully paneled Stade de France looks like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We know one of the (false) arguments people hear when selling solar installations is that the panels detract from the site\u2019s look. Well, if we may be so bold, in this case \u2014 and, in fact, in most cases \u2014 we think the panels improve the stadium\u2019s aesthetics. And that\u2019s in addition to the powerful message they send, and example they set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And the final piece: Just how much power does this 19,000-panel<\/em><\/strong> mini power plant generate? This 9.6 Megawatt installation<\/strong> generates a whopping 8,429 Megawatt hours<\/strong> per year. To compare:<\/p>\n\n\n\n