Taiwan will host The World Games 2009, which run from July 16-26, 2009.  This year marks the eighth time that the event will be held and approximately 4,500 of the world’s best athletes will be in attendance.  As is the case with the Olympics, the host city usually builds new stadiums to accommodate the athletes, fans, and media.  

 

The National Stadium in Kaohsiung City is a breathtaking facility that has incorporated some distinct eco-friendly design elements.  The arena holds 40,000 occupants and will be the site of the opening and closing ceremonies, among other events.

There are 8,844 solar panels installed on the roof that generate 1.14 million kWh of electricity on an annual basis.    Additionally, all of the raw materials used during the building’s construction process were made in Taiwan.

 

“Not only does the solar panel system provide electricity during the games, but the surplus energy can also be sold during the non-game period. This is an unprecedented case of solar energy exploit on our island.  Besides the fact, that the stadium conforms to the trend of  “Energy Saving & Carbon Reduction”, it is also a new representative of sport stadiums.”  Source: The World Games 2009

 

Construction on the building began two years ago and the official unveiling was held earlier this week.  It is amazing to think that it took a mere two years to finish the construction process on this unique eco-friendly stadium.