Bundesliga
Solar power, green energy storage, plug-in charging stations and much more besides. Freiburg's new stadium won't just be eco-friendly - it'll also have the capacity to become climate-neutral.
Situated in the foothills of the Black Forest, Freiburg is Germany's greenest - and sunniest - city. Its long-standing commitment to sustainability is reflected in the home of Bundesliga club, SC Freiburg.
The 24,000-seater Schwarzwald-Stadion is Germany's first solar-powered football stadium. Since solar panels were fitted to the roofs in 1993, the stadium has generated 250,000 kilowatt-hours per year, powering the stadium and feeding any excess back into the local grid.
Drawing on the Baden-Württemberg city's world-renowned green ethos is the new Freiburg Stadium, set to open later in 2021. Die Breisgauer's forward-thinking home will integrate solar panels onto its roof and recycle energy generated from a nearby manufacturing plant to heat the stadium. It is estimated the solar panels will generate around 2.3 million kWh per year.
"The club has stood for sustainability for many years," commented Freiburg board member Oliver Leki."
Watch: Freiburg - all you need to know
As well as producing its own energy, the stadium in the Wolfswinkel district will use energy storage batteries, so that clean energy can be used in the event of a power failure on site or at the local grid, while stadium and under-pitch heating will be drawn from a local pipeline.
It will also offer electric car charging stations, as well as plug-in spots for e-bikes, e-scooters and smartphones, and some 3,700 parking places for push bikes. As a result, the stadium is expected to become climate-neutral.
Dr. Thorsten Radensleben, boss of local energy supplier Badenova, believes Freiburg's new stadium will set a new gold standard in football stadia. "With our commitment, we're combining all our competencies into an overall concept that makes the new SC stadium a reference point that'll extend far beyond German borders," he said.
Translation: 360 degree view of the new stadium
Freiburg's new 34,700-capacity stadium could open its doors as early as August, with Matchday 1 of the 2020/21 campaign to be played 13-15 August. The exact fixtures will be announced on 25 June.