Kaohsiung, Taiwan, is the world’s first stadium designed to get all its power directly from the sun.
According to the environmentally oriented Web site Green Packs, Japanese architect Toyo designed the steel-rod structured staduim with a solar panel-covered roof. The horseshoe-shaped structure has been constructed for the World Games to be held in Kaohsiung city in July. Spread over 19 hectares and having a seating capacity of 55,000 it will be used mainly for athletics events.
There are 8,844 solar panels on the roof which are expected to generate more electricity than is needed to power the building’s 3,300 lights and two gigantic TV screens. Estimates are that some 1.14 million kilowatt-hours of electricity a year will be generated with any excess sold back to utilities.
