Southampton’s Utilita Bowl unveils major solar plan

The Utilita Bowl in Southampton has unveiled its plan to harness solar energy, with its first solar panels already installed and more coming in the next few weeks.

Once complete, 1,044 solar panels will have been installed on the roofs around the ground, generating 400,000 kWh of energy and reducing carbon emissions by around 80 tonnes per year – equal to 130 homes worth of energy.

The placement has been designed to be barely visible, showing the venue’s commitment to sustainability without becoming a focal point.

Speaking at The Hundred game between Southern Brave and London Spirit, Archie Lasseter, Utilita’s group head of sustainability explained: “So far in the UK, most of the solar energy we’ve generated has come from installations on farmland. To generate the amount of solar energy we need to in the next ten years, we’re advocating a switch to more rooftop solar going forward.

“We see this initiative as a great opportunity to raise awareness around solar, and ensure that people who are thinking about solar – or even those that haven’t thought about it yet – have the opportunity to speak to people that have installed it.

“Projects like these are vital if the UK is to reach its net zero targets. It has been brilliant to help Utilita Bowl realise the energy bill and carbon savings from solar. I hope other business will see this project and think ‘I want a piece of that’. This technology really is a no brainer”.

David Mann, chief executive of Utilita Bowl, said: “We’ve tried over the years to be a venue that does things our own way.

“We were the first privately owned cricket club, the first to have a hotel on-site, the first T20 game was here, as was the first international T20 game.

“This new initiative is really exciting – it’s a really tangible part of our aspiration to be the greenest cricket stadium in the world.

“It’s unique, we’re proud of it, and we hope it inspires other people and organisations to do the same.”