United Solar, a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD) (NASDAQ:ENER) and global manufacturer of UNI-SOLAR® lightweight, flexible thin-film solar modules, announced today that its solar laminates will be installed on the Pituaçu Stadium in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil, marking the first solar photovoltaic (PV) system to be installed on a soccer stadium in South America.
United Solar is partnered with Gehrlicher Ecoluz Solar do Brasil, the installer of the solar PV system which will be featured on the canopy covering the stadium’s grandstands. Gehrlicher Ecoluz Solar do Brasil is a joint venture of Gehrlicher Solar AG and Ecoluz Participações S.A. At maximum output, the array of UNI-SOLAR laminates can produce 238 kilowatts of power.
“We are very pleased to have been awarded this international tender. The participation of our suppliers such as UNI-SOLAR has been a great support in this project,” said Ricardo da Silva David, Director of Gehrlicher Ecoluz Solar do Brasil.
The installation will begin in September with an estimated completion date of December 2011. The system is supported by power producer Coelba and the Government of the State of Bahia. The clean, renewable energy that will be generated from the building will help the Pituaçu Stadium achieve lower overall energy costs.
“United Solar is proud to be a pioneer in the application of solar technology in emerging markets. This is a perfect example of how UNI-SOLAR lightweight solar laminates can be integrated directly into a building for a cost-saving renewable energy solution. We see great opportunity for solar adoption in Brazil with its high average insolation and growing infrastructure investment leading up to the World Cup in 2014,” said Steve Szamocki, Senior Vice President of Sales-Americas of United Solar.
“Gehrlicher has recently joined the rapidly expanding UNI-SOLAR Business Alliance Partner network. They are now trained and certified in the installation, operation and ongoing support of our laminates for commercial rooftop applications. Moreover, we are now collaborating on a number of projects in Brazil and the Pituaçu Stadium is just one example of the outstanding work our companies are capable of delivering to the Brazilian market,” Szamocki concluded.
United Solar has more than 25 years experience in the industry of solar power generation, and is the largest manufacturer of lightweight, flexible solar panels in the world.