Plan to cover West Ham’s London Stadium with ‘solar membrane’

The London Stadium is set to have its roof covered with solar panels in a bid to help it "go green" and generate its own energy.

The LLDC hope to use solar technology to help the London Stadium sustainably generate its own power

Evening Standard

Plans have been revealed to wrap the 2012 Olympics arena - now home to West Ham United- in a multi-million pound solar membrane to cut carbon emissions and harness the sun's rays.

The scheme is being spearheaded by the stadium's owners, the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) - a body set up after the 2012 Games to oversee the continued regeneration of the area around the Olympic Park.

LLDC's latest budget document estimates that the project could cost about £4million over two years, but would more than pay for itself after just five years, thanks to an estimated generation of roughly three million kilowatts of power each year.

It adds that work on the scheme could begin in "mid-2023", with power starting to be generated potentially before the end of the coming financial year in April 2024.

A contract for the project's installation was put out to tender in December, with the contract description stating that the "high-profile building offers a fantastic opportunity to showcase cutting edge technology".

It adds: "The key driver for the project is to significantly reduce carbon emissions, in line with a commitment to reach a 'net zero' carbon position by 2030."

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