Cheltenham Town is the first club in League One to power their stadium with solar energy, all thanks to an installation carried out by Cotswold Energy Group based in Stonehouse. What exactly does this entail and what are the benefits?

Like forest size of three football fields

Working diligently towards creating a sustainable and ecologically conscious future for the club, local community, and environment, Cheltenham Town FC commissioned Cotswold Energy Group to design and install solar panels. The project involved a year of planning and eight weeks of construction and installation. If you also have a big project ahead of you, check out the offer of soccer betting.

By mounting 213 high-efficiency photovoltaic panels on the Colin Farmer and Hazlewoods stands, the installation at the Robins' stadium is also the largest photovoltaic project in Cheltenham. The panels are oriented in sun-facing directions: south and east, to ensure maximum absorption during the sunniest hours. They have the capacity to generate up to 77 MWh of energy annually. This translates to an estimated reduction of 20 tons of carbon dioxide emissions over the 25-year lifespan of the installation, equivalent to planting 3864 trees—a forest the size of three football fields! The installation is one of the largest of its kind in the entire EFL league, making the stadium the only one in League One powered by solar energy.

© Trevor Pipe

But also saving money

The solar panels will provide over 25% of the energy needed for the stadium's proper functioning, and with the integration of other energy-saving initiatives such as LED floodlights, 30% of the energy consumed will be renewable, resulting in savings of approximately £21,000 annually. This is a £90,000 club investment. Through such investments, which are truly vital for the infrastructure of our football club, we are not only maximizing our benefits on the field but also beyond it, said the club's commercial director, Paul Bence, as quoted by Gloucestershire Live.

Jon Bonnar, managing director of Cotswold Energy Group, quoted by So Glos, said: The football stadium in Cheltenham is well positioned for direct sunlight, making it an ideal location for solar energy utilization. Installing this photovoltaic system is a simple yet effective step in helping the football club contribute to achieving its intended goal.

© Trevor Pipe