Oxford United Football Club has announced that it will deliver the first all-electric stadium in the UK using low carbon energy supply
The proposed all-electric stadium would not use any high-carbon-intensity fossil fuels such as gas.
Renewable energy sources, including 3000m² of solar panels on the roof, along with energy efficiency measures, would achieve radical carbon emission reductions. The solar panels would generate enough energy to boil around 3 million 3-litre kettles per year.
Air source heat pumps could provide an estimated 80% reduction in CO2 emissions per year
Modern building fabric design and heat recovery solutions would also be used to maximise thermal efficiency.
The use of another low-carbon energy technology, air source heat pumps, as the development’s primary heat source would provide an estimated 80% reduction in CO2 emissions per year when compared to gas boilers.
The stadium would also include drainage systems, rain storage, and recycling solutions to reuse rainwater, while plans to enhance biodiversity on the land at the Triangle would achieve a significant net gain.
How will the all-electric stadium minimise energy use?
- High-performance construction with optimised thermal performance will reduce the demand for cooling in summer while retaining heat in the winter.
- High-efficiency air source heat pumps provide internal comfort, capturing heat from the external ambient air to produce the heat source for general heating, domestic hot water generation, and undersoil pitch heating.
- A fully automated Building Energy Management System will be employed to monitor, control and report energy use, to ensure optimal operation across all seasons and long-term minimisation of energy consumption.
