A couple of years ago, we wrote about a 1.3 megawatt solar-powered stadium in Switzerland. A new solar powered stadium has been built in Taiwan for the 2009 World Games in July. Designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito, the stadium incorporates 8,844 solar panels on the roof. The roof will generate enough energy to power the building’s 3,300 lights and two giant television screens.

On hot days, the stadium will generate more power than it needs, so the Taiwanese government plans to sell the excess capacity. A Taiwanese official said that the panels will generate 1.14 million KWh per year, preventing 660 tons of annual carbon dioxide.

The power system was tested in January. It took over six minutes to power up the lighting in the stadium, which illuminates the track and field with 3300 lux.

The stadium has a some other green features — permeable pavement is used throughout the complex, and all the raw materials used in the main stadium are reusable and made in Taiwan.

Huge photos of the stadium can be found on the Skyscraper Forum.

Link: Stadium Home Page