The Chinnaswamy cricket stadium in the heart of Bengaluru has introduced modern technology, with photo-voltaic cells fixed on its circular rooftop to generate solar power for its use.

“Our stadium is the first in the country to install solar panels on the rooftop above the eastern stands to generate about 1,700 units of power daily to meet a part of our energy requirements,” said a Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) official.

The combined solar panels have the potential to generate 18-lakh units per year to meet about 40-50 percent of its peak requirement annually.

“We have invested Rs.3 crore to install the solar cells on top of eastern stands and will invest Rs.7 crore for similar panels on top of western stands by this year-end,” KSCA spokesperson Mrutyunjaya said.

The stadium consumes maximum energy for lighting the ground, stands, dressing rooms, pavilion and other facilities when hosting the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches in summer and day-night One-Day Internationals (ODIs) when scheduled.

“Though the city is located at about 3,000 feet and has the most salubrious climate in the country, sunlight is available in abundance for about 10 months a year, as we are in the tropical region to generate plenty of clean energy,” Mrutyunjaya said.

By using solar energy, the association will reduce its expenditure on power supplied by the utility provider at commercial rate.

“We will be saving Rs.40-50 lakh on electricity bills by using solar energy for our power needs. We will also supply to the state grid on days when matches are not played and have surplus solar power to spare,” Mrutyunjaya added.