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Green light for London Stadium solar roof plans

London Legacy Development Corporation A CGI concept image of the London Stadium once the solar membrane is complete. It shows the stadium from high above with part of the Stratford skyline in viewLondon Legacy Development Corporation
It is hoped the solar installation will make it the world's "greenest sports venue"

A "solar membrane" will soon cover the roof of London’s former Olympic stadium.

Planning permission has been granted to install 6,500 square metres of solar panels on the London Stadium in east London, which is now home to West Ham United Football Club.

The solar covering, which will be installed by summer 2025, will enable the stadium to save more than 200 tonnes of carbon emissions a year and generate enough energy to power all the venue’s major events, the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) said.

Mete Coban, London’s deputy mayor for environment and energy, said the £4.35m project would make the stadium one of the world’s "greenest sports and concert venues".

Mayor Sadiq Khan’s office has revealed it contributed £45,000 towards a feasibility study and business case for the project, as first reported in the Standard.

The scheme, which was granted planning permission at the end of September, also received a loan from the mayor’s Green Finance Fund.

The LLDC has estimated that the project will drive savings for the stadium of up to £350,000 annually.

Noah Vickers/Local Democracy Reporting Service View from inside the London Stadium showing the stands and the roof.Noah Vickers/Local Democracy Reporting Service
The London Stadium roof will soon be covered in a "solar membrane"

The lightweight "membrane" design was required to minimise the panels’ heaviness on the roof, maximise energy generation and ensure compliance with fire regulations.

Mr Coban said: “These solar panels are a game changer for the London Stadium, turning it into one of the world’s greenest sports and concert venues and hugely reducing its energy use and running costs."

Graham Gilmore, chief executive of the stadium’s operator, LS185, said: “This ambitious large-scale investment will reduce our energy costs, but most importantly our carbon footprint."

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