14 DAY TRIAL // Sporting venues are increasingly turning to solar panels systems to generate clean electricity for their venues because of their important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and operational costs.
Gehrlicher Ecoluz Solar do Brazil S.A has recently been awarded a contract for the planning and construction of the photovoltaic system, which will be the first on a soccer stadium in Latin America.
The German photovoltaics specialists at Gehrlicher Solar have been commissioned by Brazilian utility company Coelba to start the construction.
A 403 kW solar panels system will be installed on the roof of Pituacu Stadium in Salvador da Bahia, which is the third largest city in the country, with construction scheduled to begin next month. The system's grid connection is due for completion in December 2011.
As part of the agreement, the project will use flexible lightweight solar panels systems from Uni-Solar with total power of 238 kWp, and monocrystalline modules manufactured by Yingli, a renewable energy company that became the first of its in kind to sponsor the FIFA World Cup back in 2010. The modules will be producing a total power of 165 kWp are mounted onto the locker room and some parking lot roofs.
"We are very pleased to have convinced Coelba with our concept,” said an enthused Guillermo Barea Herranz, chairman of the board of directors of Gehrlicher Ecoluz Solar do Brasil.
“This contract is very important to us, in particular against the backdrop of plans for outfitting all twelve 2014 Soccer World Cup venues with solar power systems," added Ricardo da Silva David, director of Gehrlicher Ecoluz Solar do Brasil.
Gerlicher says that tender procedures for the twelve venues of the 2014 Soccer World Cup are still in progress.