Manchester Considers Wind Powered Football Stadium
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 10.22.05
"A global first in sporting history" is how it is being billed. If Manchester City Football Club get their way and can convince the planners, then their stadium will not only be home to the the largest land-base wind turbine in the UK, but it will also be the world’s first sport stadium to be powered solely by renewable energy.* The idea is to install a 85m (280') high Norman Foster designed turbine, that would also have a viewing platform and education centre. It is envisioned that the energy would be a similar price to current fossil fool costs. And apparently the turbine has the potential to power about 4,000 homes, so locals could purchase their energy from the site too. Additionally the proposal calls for “the recycling of water and the use of solar power.” The project is being put up by renewable energy supplier, Ecotricity and the plans are currently being investigated by Manchester City Council. Via the BBC Online.
* Regular Treehugger readers will know we are always wary of “firsts”. In this instance it should be acknowledged that for the period of the 2000 Olympics, in Sydney, all the competition venues used 100% 'Green Power', sourced from hydro and landfill gas energy plants.
Way to go Manchester Footbal. I like this plan, but is there a high enough amount of wind onsite to warrent the use of a wind turbine there? It would be less flashy but perhaps more efficient to put it in a windier site somewhere else and use the power for the stadium. Perhaps the publicity/shock value/educational value etc. of having the giant turbine in the city would be worth it though. People should become accustomed to the site of turbines and then they hopefully wont be as opposed to their 'effect on the asthetics' of their surroundings as much. Let's be honest: which is prettier, gracefully spinning wind turbines churning out clean power or acid rain causing, pollutant spewing smoke stacks from coal plants?