Welsh rugby stadium goes solar with 1.5 MW PV array

More than 3,250 solar panels have been installed at the home of Welsh rugby, in what the stadium owner claims is the largest PV installation for a UK sports venue to date.

Venue owner Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) revealed it has been generating electricity at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium since February 2026, but better weather conditions in May and June has meant the array is now providing significant power for stadium operations.

Roof work for the project was completed over a six-week period, installer EvoEnergy told pv magazine. This was timed to run from mid-August to the end of September 2025 to ensure the system was installed in the off-season for the stadium.

The 1.5 MW array comprises 3,296 Trina 455 W modules with panel optimizers, mounted on K2 standing seam clamps. EvoEnergy said it used this mounting design to ensure a robust system given the building height and wind speed at the location, which is next to a river.

WRU expects the array to generate enough electricity each year to power more than 50 matchdays. The rugby association has also forecast the rooftop installation will provide return on investment within two-to-three years.

Completed in 1999, the 74,000 seater Principality Stadium – formerly the Millennium Stadium – was one of the first in the world to have a fully movable, retractable roof over a column free stadium. The solar installation made use of cranes located inside the stadium to hoist panels and equipment over the primary trusses on the roof, according to WRU.

Darren Crossman, head of facilities and safety and sustainability WRU, said that as custodians of an iconic stadium, “we have a responsibility to lead by example. This solar installation is a significant technical and operational step forward.”

Ascot Racecourse

One of England’s historic racecourses is also sporting a new solar array, following the installation of PV on the grandstand at Ascot.

The Ascot Racecourse rooftop solar array is installed across the 480-meter-long roof of the grandstand, and is expected to be energized later in 2026. Installer SSE Energy Solutions said the project comprises more than 1,200 solar panels with a total capacity of 608 kW.

Sam Thompson, director of estate operations at Ascot Racecourse, said the installation would allow the venue to take a major step forward in its plans to cut emissions and strengthen operational resilience.

“By turning our grandstand roof into a long-term energy asset, and bringing the system online later this year, we will be supporting both our environmental commitments and the future sustainability of the racecourse,” Thompson said.

Tamsin Lishman, customer asset director, SSE Energy Solutions, said that projects like Ascot show how commercial solar can be delivered at scale, even in complex and high profile environments.

The Principality Stadium and Ascot Racecourse installations are the latest in a line of PV projects deployed to some of the most famous sports venues in the United Kingdom. Manchester City’s campus and London Stadium both have their own solar arrays, as does The Wing grandstand at Silverstone – home of the British Grand Prix.