Johan Cruijff Arena houses a three-megawatt storage structure as well as 4,200 solar panels.GETTY IMAGES
Eredivisie side Ajax's Johan Cruijff Arena has become the site of the biggest commercial energy storage system in Europe, "thanks to the introduction of a scheme to store electric vehicle batteries at the venue," according to SOCCEREX. The arena now houses a three-megawatt storage structure, as well as 4,200 recently-installed solar panels, "capable of powering 7,000 households for an hour." As well as powering electric vehicles, the energy amassed by the panels "can also be retained as supplementary reserve in order to ensure that the venue is as environmentally sustainable as possible." When not in use, the stadium's power system can be utilized by Amsterdam's power grid. The stadium's move toward sustainability was "accelerated" in '16 when car manufacturer Nissan and U.S. power management company Eaton agreed to a deal with the Amsterdam Arena -- ultimately owned by the government of Amsterdam -- to provide backup power to the stadium (SOCCEREX, 7/11).
