INEOS Britannia, has unveiled an innovative solar installation at its base in Barcelona to help power the team’s operations with renewable energy. The system, consisting of 42 solar panels which were provided by Trina Solar, in collaboration with global renewable energy company Low Carbon. Each panel has a potential solar generation capacity of 670W per hour. This is equivalent to generating approximately 50 kWh per day, enough energy to power 50% of the teams on shore operation. The electricity generated from the solar installation helps power a range of equipment at the team base, including race boat batteries and simulator. Across the year, the installation could help avoid six tonnes of CO2e.
The solar installation took inspiration from the system Low Carbon implemented for fellow high-performance sailing team ‘Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team’. That specific installation, the first of its kind, consists of 38 solar panels and two micro wind turbines that are completely mobile and travel around the world to SailGP events. It was installed in June 2023 and has so far produced 2,484kWh of energy, helping power the operations of Emirates GBR and other SailGP teams.
© Cameron Gregory
In December, during COP28, Low Carbon and Emirates GBR released their Portable Off-Grid Power Blueprint, to encourage other sports teams and industries to incorporate renewable energy into their operations. The Blueprint provides organisations with the knowledge, information and contacts needed to adopt renewable energy.
INEOS Britannia’s base has been designed and built using the blueprint guidelines and with sustainability at the forefront, in line with the Barcelona Agreement. The agreement, managed by the Barcelona Port Authority, covers several key points including, net zero construction, operation and end-of-life.
Barcelona – Spain
© Cameron Gregory
Low Carbon previously partnered with the British America’s Cup team during the 35th America’s Cup in Bermuda in 2017, where they donated 194 solar panels with support from the Stempel Foundation to the National Museum of Bermuda to offset the energy used by the team while competing for the Cup. The panels produced enough power to cover all the energy used by the team in Bermuda, and will continue providing power to the island for at least another 25 years. The installation has also been a valuable educational resource for local school children about the importance of renewable energy in building sustainable island communities.
Sir Ben Ainslie, Team Principal and Skipper of INEOS Britannia said: “We are very happy to once again be working with Low Carbon to make our operations during this America’s Cup campaign in Barcelona as sustainable as possible. The solar panels can currently produce 50% of the power used by the team and so as we progress throughout the year we hope to be able to take our operations off-grid. Our project with Low Carbon in Bermuda is a huge success story and we are excited to work together on something similar in Barcelona, to ensure we not only tread lightly on the city but also leave a lasting legacy.”
Roy Bedlow, Chief Executive and Founder of Low Carbon, said: “We are delighted to be supporting the British America’s Cup team’s aim to maximise renewable energy and achieve energy independence while in Barcelona this year. This will not only mitigate the climate impact, but also showcase what is possible to achieve at major sporting events and in other industries who are trying to reduce grid demands. We wish Sir Ben and all of the team the greatest success in the 37th Americas Cup; let’s bring the Cup home.”