Solar Energy at the World Cup: FIFA Goes Solar
Are you still suffering withdrawal after the exhilaration of the final game of the 2014 World Cup? It is now less than four years before the World Cup reconvenes in Russia. Russia is already preparing for the next World Cup and trying to match the renewable energy commitment that Brazil devoted to the 2014 World Cup.
If you were paying attention to the final game between Germany and Argentina you probably noticed a stadium big enough to fit 1,500 solar panels. That’s because the Estádio do Maracanã became the first stadium to power a FIFA championship match backed by solar, a project initiated during the 24 month preparation for the 2014 World Cup.
Arena Pernambuco, host of five matches including USA’s 0-1 loss to Germany, installed 3,650 high-efficiency solar panels estimated to power 600 average homes for 25 years. That’s solar for about 1,500 MWh of clean electricity each year. Brazil is already a country heavily invested in renewable energy with its production of hydroelectric power. Solar energy for 240 homes may not be a huge commitment to solar energy, but it is a start, and we can thank the World Cup for sparking this interest in solar and other forms of renewable energy.
‘Sustainability is one of the key tenets in our vision for the 2014 FIFA World Cup’ – FIFA.com
As the 8th largest energy consumer, Brazil is a South American power house that has an electricity sector third largest of the Americas. In 2010, Brazil produced 114 gigawatts of installed generating capacity and in 2011, with a total of 531 billion kilowatt-hours, hydropower accounted for 80 percent of that total generation while other sources such as renewables and fossil fuels were stored as alternatives. The new solar panel project that is expected to generate more than 1MW per year for the next 25 years could mean Brazil is bending its ear to the perpetuallly trending solar pulse and what better way to show the world that you’re listening than to solarize the final match. Still, it will be up to the 2002 champions to extend the solar conversation to something other than football: sustainability.
According to census, the 32 countries that participated in the World Cup combine for 1.9 billion of the world’s population – which makes for a lot of fans – and in June 12th, FIFA kicked off its first game viewed at beaches, sandwich shops, and homes in each of nine of the hosting cities, most popular among them, Rio de Janeiro, the home of the Maracanã Stadium.
What’s next for renewable energy in FIFA World Cup
Germany will defend its title as Russia prepares eleven cities to host the World Cup in 2018 and if the Winter Olympics is any clue, the Russians will not spare any expense to impress the world. Since FIFA makes sustainability a priority, Russia will toe the party line and develop the sites for the next World Cup with sustainability in mind. FIFA looks to advance its role as the topic of sustainability encourages city officials to revisit financial plans due to future savings in energy costs. In 2010 the organization added for the first time a renewable energy company to its list of sponsors and has since been outspoken in favor of those countries who invest in their future energy sources.
If you are interested in solar projects, then you should follow Russia’s development of its stadiums and other infrastructure for the 2018 gaames. Until then Brazil will continue to prosper from its commitment to solar energy. And the world’s number one sport will produce some solar energy and a good game or two.