By Kiley Krih } Think Progress
The 2014 Word Cup kicked off in Brazil this week and while there has been ample criticism over the massive cost of hosting the event, estimated to reach as much as $11.5 billion, a bright spot in the construction is the integration of renewable energy.
Complete with 6,000 solar panels, Mineirão is the first World Cup stadium ever powered by solar energy. The plant’s installed capacity of 1,600 megawatts-hour per year (1.4 MW) is enough to power 1,200 households, according to the Brazilian federal government’s World Cup website. “As it’s not possible to store all the energy, 10 percent of it will be used in powering the Mineirão and the rest will be transferred to consumers,” said Alexandre Maia Bueno with Minas Gerais State Electricity Company (CEMIG), which constructed the plant.
