Headed to the world cup in Brazil? Keep your eyes peeled for solar  

Solar and airports are getting a lot of attention lately. We’ve had the Alice Springs airport rolling out a solar farm that doubles as shading for long term parked cars, then the announcement of a massive solar farm being considered as part of upgrades to the Louis Armstrong airport in New Orleans that can survive Category 4 hurricanes (like Katrina).

Now Jinko Solar are promoting their brand of solar panels in Sydney Airport, Australia’s international hub. Business people and jet setters alike will see the advertisements (like the one above) featured in the Qantas lounge in a campaign aiming to make Jinko a household name.

With the recent fortunes of Jinko Solar in the industry, combined with a number of strategic operational acquisitions, their position in the solar manufacturing market looks very healthy. They are bucking the trend of over-supply that is plaguing other manufacturers, and have been identified as a hot tip for investors who have overlooked solar producers in their portfolios.

If you are fortunate enough to be a global get-about, there’s a chance you are heading to Brazil shortly for the Football (aka Soccer) World Cup. Arena Pernambuco, the site of at least five World Cup matches, has received a 1MW solar farm fit-out ahead of the tournament.

Enough renewable energy will be produced by the system to supply 30% of the stadium’s energy requirements, and will continue to operate servicing 6,000 local households every year following the competition.

In previous years FIFA has been criticised for leaving “White Elephants” at their event sites, but FIFA President Sepp Blatter is determined to have a long-lasting benefit on the community (apart from just proving action on the pitch).

“Large-scale solar projects like this one are contributing to our mission of reducing the negative and increasing the positive impact of the World Cup on society and the environment,” said Blatter.

Football fans visiting the arena will be able to track the production of the solar system with a smartphone app, similar to Solar Sunwerx’s preferred inverter supplier Solax, continuing the industry’s efforts to keep customers informed and updated.