Featured image credit: City of Vienna
The City of Vienna has taken a major step towards its goal of making Ernst Happel Stadion what it claims will be the first energy self-sufficient stadium in Europe, with the completion of a major photovoltaic system installation.
In November 2023, Vienna City Council unanimously decided to develop Austria’s largest stadium into an emission-neutral sports venue. This will be achieved through the solar system on its listed roof and the generation of heat from renewable energy sources.
For this purpose, 270 geothermal probes with a depth of 150 metres were installed beneath the stadium’s 11 renovated training pitches. Installation of the photovoltaic system on the roof was completed on Monday.
Together with the ground collectors under the artificial turf pitches and heat pumps, an annual energy volume of up to 9,700 MWh is projected to be generated, which corresponds to the energy needs of more than 900 Viennese households.
City Councillor for Sports, Peter Hacker, said: “The emission-free stadium was still a vision not so long ago, but now we’re close to realising it. I’m impressed by how quickly and precisely the construction was completed.
“Sustainability and innovation are key criteria in the renovation of Vienna’s sports venues. The Ernst Happel Stadion will generate more electricity than it consumes, thus making an important contribution to environmental and climate protection in our city.”
In addition, all floodlights and sidewalk lighting have been upgraded and replaced with LEDs. The electricity for these will now come from the photovoltaic system on the stadium roof.
Assembly of the photovoltaic system began in November. In collaboration with utilities companies Wien Energie and Wiener Netze, the solar power system will now be fully wired and the generated energy will be fed into the existing stadium grid. This phase is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
Further plans include a network equipped with heat pumps and storage facilities, and a connection to the neighbouring Stadionbad swimming pool, where surplus energy from the stadium will be used.
Back in September 2023, the City detailed the interim results of a study that was commissioned to assess further investment in the stadium, which it owns and operates. These results showed that while the current listed roof and main structure of the stadium can be used until at least the mid-2060s, improvements could be made elsewhere.
Ernst Happel Stadion, home of the Austrian national football team, first opened in 1931, receiving renovations in 1986 and 2008.
The photovoltaic system has become one of the largest rooftop installations in Vienna, with an annual yield of 4,377 MWh. This is approximately 800 MWh more than the stadium’s current energy needs.
Share this