When the 2009 World Games kick off in Taiwan in July, athletes will compete in a stadium powered entirely by the sun. The 55,000 seats of the nearly-complete Kaohsiung stadium are housed beneath a roof covered in 8,844 solar panels.
The dragon-inspired semi-spiral structure, designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito, is the first stadium to use only solar power technology for all its electricity. The panels are expected to generate 1.14 gigawatts of electricity a year – enough to run the venue’s 3,300 lights and two giant television screens, and to create additional power that the Taiwanese government plans to sell back to the grid.
It is anticipated that the $150 million stadium will be able to power 80 percent of the surrounding neighbourhood if its solar technology is connected to the grid during days when the venue is not in use. The green energy will prevent 660 tons of CO2 being emitted by traditional power stations each year.
Following the World Games this summer, the 19-hectare stadium will be used for the Taiwanese football team’s home matches, as well as athletics and rugby events.
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