Manchester City Turns to Renewable Energy Sources for Academy Ground

Date: 25/03/24

The huge environmental benefits of solar power were underlined this week when none other than reigning Premier League Champions, Manchester City, announced an exciting new solar panel project.

The club are proposing to add a massive 10,887 solar panels to their academy and training facility at the Etihad Campus this year. It’s predicted that this will produce 4.39MWh of power per year, despite Manchester’s reputation for cloudy skies and rain. This will more than cover the energy needs of the facility, with excess power being fed to the main City of Manchester Stadium next door.

Tapping the biggest renewable energy source

The new system will mainly be deployed at the Joie Stadium, home of the Manchester City Academy and Manchester City Women. The roof of the 7,000-seater stadium will hold 3,000 solar panels, with 3,830 solar panels built over footpaths and pitch-side areas around the ground. The remaining panels will appear on the roofs of the Academy buildings and offices across the campus.

“We know that the production and consumption of renewable energy has an incredibly important role to play,” explains Manchester City Director of Sustainability, Pete Bradshaw. “Our plans (are) to completely offset the power required to run the day-to-day operations of the Manchester City Football Academy, by becoming one of football’s largest producers of self-supplied, renewable energy”.

Solar powered Football

Manchester City are not the only Premier League team tapping renewable energy sources for their power. West Ham United are also planning to install solar panels on the roof of the former Olympic Stadium. The £4 million scheme will generate around 3MWh.

While they don’t have solar panels of their own, Arsenal have signed a landmark solar power deal with sustainable power supplier, Octopus Energy. The scheme means that the huge, 60,000-seater Emirates Stadium will be fully powered by Octopus Energy’s solar farms.

Renewable energy sources are available to everyone

Of course, you don’t have to be a Premier League giant to enjoy the benefits of renewable energy sources. Cheltenham Town, two leagues down in League One have turned to solar power at Whaddon Road, with 213 panels creating 77MWh of energy per year. Championship side Bristol City also boast 460 solar panels at their Ashton Gate stadium, generating 96MWh per year.

And with the help of Think Hire, almost anyone can utilise renewable energy sources, whether you’re staging a big match or working on the stadium itself. Our Solartainer Versatile can be used as a direct replacement for a diesel generator, cutting both emissions and costs. It is available in four sizes, from 30kVA to 110kVA, and can be boosted by the fully portable Solar Skyframe, which can add a further 5kW of power from almost any flat surface.

Reach your environmental goals

Think Hire are here to help your team to reach their environmental goals and put you at the top of the league when it comes to sustainable working. We have a wide range of equipment, from solar powered floodlights for late kick-offs, to electric vehicle charging stations for your team bus. We can even power your changing rooms, with environmentally friendly eco welfare units and drying rooms.

Like all good managers, Think Hire know how to get the very best out of their assets. To help to maximise the benefits of your renewable power sources, Think Hire offers remote energy management on most installations. This helps you to optimise your energy usage to deliver even greater savings and even lower emissions.

The perfect match

Getting Think Hire on your team couldn’t be easier. Simply get in touch today and kick off your energy saving with the industry’s environmental experts. Call now on 0330 133 2222 or complete the contact form online.

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