Renewable Energy Innovations Making Olympic History

Published by Rogers Corporation
Advanced Electronics Solutions

The 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games have captivated audiences worldwide, and part of that excitement has centered around the new and innovative technology applications utilized in this year’s games. Many of these technologies are enabled by materials that Rogers Corporation manufactures, including applications in footwear, 5G wireless infrastructure, renewable energy, and more.

Energy is central to any significant event, especially one as grand and expansive as the Olympics. Paris has taken a more responsible approach to providing energy to power the stadiums, athlete villages, and other areas using renewable energy sources in this year’s games. The Olympic Planning Committee in Paris has utilized the public electricity grid to receive power sustainably sourced from wind turbines and solar farms in France. This approach is the first of its kind in the history of the Olympic games.

What Materials Power Renewable Energy Sources?

When wind and solar designers consider which materials to utilize in their systems, key considerations are system efficiency and reliability. Designers need high-quality, reliable materials to ensure that renewable energy sources such as wind turbines and solar farms function at the highest capacity without interruption. Rogers Corporation offers multiple material solutions that increase the efficiency, reliability, and performance of renewable energy applications.

In both wind turbines and solar farms, the inverter is at the heart of the electricity generation. The inverter converts the energy, deriving from the wind or the sun into energy/electricity that can be connected to the national grid and distributed to the households, industries, or national infrastructure.

Rogers Corporation’s curamik® ceramic substrates, used in the power modules of the inverter, are designed to carry higher currents and provide higher voltage isolation over a wide temperature range. Our custom designed, low inductive ROLINX® laminated busbars provide the most energy efficient connection between the various power electronics components over the lifetime of the wind turbine or solar farm.

How is Renewable Energy Impacting the 2024 Paris Olympics?

Renewable energy has revolutionized the energy industry, and Paris was eager to lead the charge by employing many renewable energy sources in this year's games.

• Reducing Energy Consumption. LED lights have replaced existing light sources, screen sizes have been reduced, and outlet use has been limited to essentials only. Venues such as the Aquatics Centre have been designed to ensure energy efficiency with concaved roofs, reducing the volume of air that needs to be heated/cooled, while other venues have added photovoltaic panels to their roofs to supply additional electricity.
• Reliable Energy Sources. The city of Paris worked to connect each game venue to the city’s pre-established public electricity network, providing a more reliable energy source than generators. To bolster the amount of electricity needed to power events of this size, additional electricity is being provided by wind and solar farms. These actions will ultimately lower carbon emissions in the city for the duration of the Games.
• Innovative Energy Solutions. Paris has also taken an innovative approach to powering the athletes' apartments in the Olympic Village. They have installed a photovoltaic carport at the village’s bus station to supply the reception and information center with self-generated electricity. The River Seine also hosts a floating mobile solar farm that will power 30 of the village apartments.

These innovations are set to pioneer a new generation of Olympic Games, where sustainability is equally as impressive as athletic excellence. Discover how Rogers Corporation is at the forefront of supporting renewable energy applications.

Related Products:
ROLINX Busbars, curamik Ceramic Substrates

Tags:
Wind & Solar

Published on Aug 02, 2024

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