Udinese Calcio’s renewable energy first

Article posted by Coliseum, April 17^th, 2025

Image: Udinese Calcio, Susanna Curti (right), and Magda Pozzo

Udinese Calcio and Bluenergy Group have launched football’s first-ever renewable energy community, powered by a solar park installed at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, Italy.

With 2,409 state-of-the-art solar panels now operating on the stadium roof, the system is set to generate around 1.1 million kilowatt hours annually, most of which will be used by the stadium

The initiative — called Energia in Campo — allows local businesses and Udinese fans to share the excess clean energy produced, creating a community-based model that benefits both the environment and the region.

Udinese Calcio is a professional football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy. The team currently competes in Serie A, the first tier of Italian football.

Bluenergy Stadium is an all-seater football stadium in Udine, Italy, and the home of the Serie A club Udinese Calcio.

Franco Collavino, General Manager of Udinese Calcio, said, “This is a historic moment – the creation of the first energy community in Italian football is born from the Bluenergy Stadium.

“It’s a unique project that goes hand in hand with the solar park and that sees us, together with Bluenergy, once again acting as pioneers, allowing us to consolidate our stadium as a global model of sustainability.

“The energy community makes our stadium project a solid point of reference for the local area, giving fans the opportunity to team up with us for the environment by becoming true ambassadors for sustainability.

“We’re also delighted with the involvement of Udinese Per la Vita ONLUS thanks to the implementation of beneficial projects for the local area with the proceeds of the incentives of the energy community.”

The energy community not only provides cost-effective, green electricity but also funds a meaningful social project.

Proceeds from the initiative will support the creation of a new residential care facility for young people with eating disorders, part of the regional healthcare system in Friuli Venezia Giulia—Italy’s northeastern region.

Alberta Gervasio, CEO of Bluenergy Group, adds, “The completion of the solar park and the launch of the world’s first football CER mark an extraordinary milestone in our commitment to sustainability.

“This project not only significantly reduces the environmental impact of the stadium but introduces an innovative model of sharing renewable energy that involves businesses and fans, providing added value for the local area.

“We’re particularly proud that the benefits of the energy community are allocated to a social project of great importance, an initiative that demonstrates how the energy transition can go beyond environmental protection and become a driver of concrete change, capable of improving people’s lives and strengthening the link with the community.”

This latest milestone builds on Udinese and Bluenergy’s long-term sustainability partnership, which has already helped cut 6,500 tons of CO₂ emissions.

Designed with support from the Polytechnic University of Milan as an energy advisor, the facility features 4,615 square meters of solar panels. This addition enhances one of Europe’s most innovative stadiums, setting new standards in terms of design, multifunctionality, safety and sustainability in Europe.

The sports facility itself will use about 70% of the energy generated by the solar panels, while the remaining 30% will be made available to the energy community, which will in turn be able to benefit from the incentives that the Energy Services Manager ring-fences for the energy produced by the facility and simultaneously consumed by the Renewable Energy Community (CER).

In order to further enhance the support to the local area these resources will be allocated to a social charity project that aims to support the Friuli Centrale University Health Authority (ASUFC)] and specifically the Child Neuropsychiatry facility which deals with problems related to eating disorders in minors and adolescents.

Internationally, Udinese Calcio is part of UEFA’s ECA sustainability working group and a signatory of the UN’s Football Climate Pact, alongside clubs like Liverpool, Atlético Madrid, Tottenham, and Porto.

With Energia in Campo, the Italian club is proving that a football stadium can be much more than a place for sport—it can be a source of energy, inspiration, and social progress.

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