Ameresco are currently installing 6,500 square meters of solar membrane panels on the London Stadium roof. The project us supported by a £4.35 million grant from the Mayor of London’s Green Finance Fund although the total cost is reported to be £8.3m as reported by Martyn Ziegler in the Times on 27 Jan.
Netting is currently visible on the London Stadium roof to protect installers working at height. The membranes are expected to reduce the stadium’s energy usage by 1.9 million kWh by March 2025. Subsequent savings from the solar roof will further reduce consumption by at least 0.8 million kWh and cut electricity costs by at least 10% they claim.
Last year a freedom of information request revealed that London Stadium paid £3,678,000 in utility bills largely made up from the electricity consumption.
Assuming a 10% saving of around £368,000 per year it could take over 22 years to pay back the initial investment before making any real financial savings are made.
I thought that I read that the roof was a temporary structure and starting to fail?
If that’s true then what a waste of money….
I’ve just checked and it seems as if solar panels degrade slowly, and manufacturers guarantee 25 years before needing replacement. If this were to take 22 years to break even there may not be too long of in profit operating before they needed replacing.