Solar capacity for sports and entertainment events: a powerful solar power plant is installed on the roof of Kaunas Zalgirio Arena

Kaunas Zalgirio Arena will now generate one-third of the electricity it consumes on its own - a 500 kW solar power plant mounted on the roof of the building will generate energy for the needs of the arena. The installation of the power plant was financed by a loan from the capital funds of the Public Investment Development Agency (VIPA).

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Payback in 2.5 years

Zalgirio Arena is the largest arena in the Baltic States.Construction on the island of Nemunas started in 2008 and the arena opened itsdoors to visitors in 2011. The total area of the building is 40,000 squaremetres. The arena can accommodate up to 20,000 visitors during concerts andmore than 15,000 fans during sports events. On average, the Arena hosts 110events a year and attracts around 600 000 spectators. Since its opening,Zalgirio Arena has welcomed more than 6 million people.

Back in 2015, the arena was the first sports arena in theworld to be awarded the BREEAM In Use certificate for sustainable buildings.And in 2022, it will install a solar power plant that will generate almost475,000 kWh of electricity per year. Kauno Arena, the operator of ZalgirioArena, consumes around 1.5 million kWh per year, so a third of the energy willbe generated by the solar power plant. The project is worth around EUR 400 000,with 50% of the cost financed by the Environmental Project Management Agency.

"If we calculate that electricity costs around €0.24 on the market, the market value of the energy produced per year is around €100000. The power plant will thus pay for itself in two years. With certain tolerances, this is a very good payback time for an energy project, 2.5 years. The norm for such projects is up to 5 years. When the price of electricity is so high, the payback is quite fast," says Vilhelmas Motiejunas, project manager for the development of Zalgirio Arena.

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An important event for Kaunas

The new power plant will not only be economically beneficial, but will also contribute to the preservation of the environment and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 200 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year.

"A nearly 0.5 MW power plant in the centre of the city is an important event for Kaunas as a whole, as well as significant in the social context," says Motiejunas.

"Over the last few years, more than 70 public buildings in Kaunas have been equipped with solar power plants. Today, 56 educational institutions in the city already use solar energy. They will soon be joined by a Children's Home, Kaunas City Polyclinic and an Ambulance Station. And this is just the beginning - the city will continue to strengthen its green course. I am glad that one of the symbols of Kaunas - Zalgirio Arena - has also joined the list", says Kaunas Mayor Visvaldas Matijosaitis.

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The power plant needs to be thought about at the design stage

The project has also faced challenges. Due to excessive roof loads, it was not possible to place solar panels on the central part of the Zalgirio Arena roof to avoid exceeding the permissible loads. It is in the central part of the main hall, above which various structures are suspended for lighting and sound, which, depending on the event, add to the loads. The decision was therefore taken to locate the power plant on the peripheral part of the roof.

"For those who are still designing buildings, we advise them to calculate the load on the roof so that it should be able to with stand not only the equipment for concerts and sports, but also the equipment for the solar power plant. This is best done at the design stage. Renewable energy is our future," says the project manager of the Zalgirio Arena development.

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VIPA invites you to invest in energy efficiency

The contractor who won the Central Contracting Authority's public tender for the installation of a solar power plant has been granted a loan of EUR 300 000 from VIPA's capital.

"The loan was granted to the contractor because it was a small company that won the tender and needed additional financing for a project of this size. The VIPA loan allowed the contractor to meet its obligations on time and the client to get the final result without extending the project. Since a quick solution was needed, it was decided to provide a loan from VIPA capital for the project," says Asta Gladkauskiene, Head of VIPA's Client Services Department.

With rising energy prices and a significant increase in the risk of a stable energy supply, more and more companies are reviewing their energy consumption habits and looking for more efficient alternatives. For energy-intensive companies in particular, improving energy efficiency is one of the solutions. This can be helped by the targeted funding provided by the TIPS platform ("Promoting the Development of Sustainable Resources") developed by VIPA in partnership with the European Energy Efficiency Foundation.

The TIPS platform provides funding to public and private sector companies intending to implement projects in the fields of energy efficiency and renewable energy. This can range from upgrading technological processes and equipment to achieve energy savings, to investments in building modernisation, lighting upgrades, advanced heating, heating, cooling and ventilation systems, solar power plants, solar parks, etc. Up to 80% of the investment value of the project can be financed, with loans for up to 10 years.

The TIPS platform can offer financing to projects that are unlikely to be financed due to higher risks or unacceptable financing conditions in the banking sector.

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