The 2024 Paris Olympics will be remembered for the unprecedented sustainable energy practices that this global sporting event promoted. As the curtain falls on the games, the world is discussing how an event like the Olympics made solar energy the talk of the town. While the extraordinary performances of global athletes have gathered praise, the unique approach of the Olympics to adopt solar energy for such a huge-scale event is also being discussed among the masses. This year, Paris used commercial PV solar panels in big numbers not only to make the games green and pollution-free but also to give a loud and clear message that solar energy has well and truly arrived for massive-scale operations.
Why Paris is a Suitable Place to Resort to Solar Power Solution
Paris is one of the global cities that provides a conducive environment for solar energy production all year round. While the city is not known for its scorching temperatures, the steady sunlight it receives makes it a perfect place for solar energy production.
On average, Paris receives 1840 hours of sunlight per year, which translates into nearly 5 hours of sunlight daily. This much sun radiation is capable of producing a good amount of electricity the whole year and saves consumers a significant amount of money[1]. Not only this, but the city is also home to developed infrastructure facilities that are able to support commercial solar PV panels in large numbers. Furthermore, Paris is historically known for minimizing its carbon footprints, and the Olympics 2024 provided them the opportunity to take this effort to new heights.
Utilization of Solar Power in the 2024 Olympics
From July 26 to August 11, global fans watched neck-to-neck Olympic competitions where athletes were pushing their bodies beyond limits to finish on the podium. Behind the scenes, all of these competitions were made possible by using solar energy. Commercial solar PV panels were busy producing green energy everywhere due to the Paris games.
Here are some key Paris 2024 Olympics venues where these panels made the games possible in the greenest way possible.
Stade de France: The Stade de France stadium was equipped with nearly 19,000 solar panels that generated almost 9.6 Megawatts of electricity. This much electricity can roughly power almost 1,770 French homes in a year[2].
Aquatics Centre: The newly built Aquatics Centre was designed to promote sustainability to the maximum possible extent. It incorporated over 4,680 square meters of photovoltaic panels on its roof. These huge-scale commercial solar PV panels make it one of the largest urban solar PV farms in France. The solar panels provided around 20% of the electricity required for the venue during the Olympics[2].
Olympic Village: The Olympic Village, where all the global athletes and other officials were staying, was also equipped with solar panels. Almost 15% of the electricity needs of this place were covered by commercial solar PV panels[3].
This year, we saw the greenest-ever Olympics in the history of mankind. Compared to previous Olympics, when around 3.5 Mt Co2 eq of carbon was emitted on average[4], this amount was reduced by more than half. The 2024 Paris Olympics is estimated to be almost 1.5 Mt Co2 eq[5], which is a massive achievement.
Broader Impact of Solar Power Solutions from the 2024 Olympics on Paris
Now that the Olympics are over, this does not mean that all commercial solar PV panel installations have gone wasted. These installations have laid the foundation for lasting impacts that will benefit the city of Paris and its residents for decades to come. Here is how:
1. Post-Olympics Utilization
Excess electricity produced by Olympics commercial solar PV panels was supposed to be sent to the local grid. Now that the games are over and the electricity requirement of these facilities has been reduced significantly, most of this electricity will be used for local purposes. The events that take place at these sports facilities in the future will also drive their energies from these solar installations.
2. Impact on Local Communities and Businesses
Other than consuming the energy produced by Olympics commercial solar PV panels, local communities, and businesses are generally benefiting from the very idea of solar systems. These panels usually produce cheaper electricity, which means that businesses and local communities will have to pay less in their electricity bills. Moreover, the visibility of these solar projects during a globally recognized event like the Olympics is also urging communities to install their own rooftop solar systems. Businesses are looking forward to commercial scale installations to bring their electricity bills down. This change is expected to bring a chain reaction where more and more people will bandwagon this revolutionary technology to make cheap electricity.
3. Contributions to Paris’ Long-Term Sustainability Goals
The solar power solutions implemented for the 2024 Olympics perfectly align with Paris’s long-term sustainability goals. As more people adopt solar energy, the environment will become cleaner and make the city an undisputed global leader in the solar revolution.
Elite Solar’s Recommendation
Seeing the rising impact of solar energy in the Paris Olympics, businesses and enterprises are exploring commercial solar PV panel installations for their massive energy needs. For such people and enterprises, Elite Solar brings 600w solar panels, 182-78 Type (P-Type). Here is how this is the best commercial solar system for large energy needs.
1. Power and Efficiency
The 182-78 Type comes in three variants and brings power outputs up to 600W under Standard Test Conditions (STC). This high wattage capability ensures that each panel can generate power significantly to the overall energy production, as their module efficiency is up to 21.5%.
2. Premium Electrical Specifications
This Elite Solar’s commercial solar PV panels are designed to operate efficiently even under varying environmental conditions. They have an open circuit voltage (Voc) ranging from 53.90V to 54.23V, depending on the specific model, and a short circuit current (Isc) between 13.93A and 14.07A. These electrical characteristics ensure that the panels can maintain a high level of performance even when exposed to the inevitable fluctuations in sunlight and temperature throughout the day.
3. Durability and Longevity
Elite Solar’s 182-78 Type panels come with a warranty of 12 years and a power warranty extending up to 30 years. The panels are also tested for durability, and they can withstand mechanical loads of up to 5400 Pa for windy days on the front and 2400 Pa for snowy days.
4. Bifacial Power Gain
An additional standout feature of the 182-78 Type panels is their bifacial design, which allows them to capture sunlight from both sides. This design can increase the total power output by up to 25%.
Wrapping-up
The 2024 Paris Olympics demonstrated the immense potential of solar energy in powering large-scale events. Now, people are adopting solar energy after being impressed by the event, and commercial solar PV panel systems can bring them a more sustainable experience for their future lives. Among the top PV module manufacturers in the world, Elite Solar has been dominating the global solar energy market for almost 20 years now. Their success has only been made possible by their continuous reliance on research and development. If you are interested, please visit Elite Solar‘s official website to learn more.
References
- Available at: https://www.climate.top/france/paris/sunlight/
- Available at: https://aurorasolar.com/blog/2024/07/18/put-solar-on-it-stade-de-france/
- Available at: https://olympics.com/ioc/news/all-you-need-to-know-about-paris-2024-sustainability
- Available at: https://theconversation.com/83-bottles-of-wine-per-person-how-experts-are-calculating-the-paris-olympics-carbon-footprint-235225
- Available at: https://press.paris2024.org/news/press-release-paris-2024-presents-the-latest-advance-in-its-low-carbon-strategy-175c-7578a.html