[Manchester] – In June, Jinko, a leading global supplier of PV and energy storage systems, announced a multi-year global partnership with Manchester City Football Club. As a vital part of this partnership, Jinko will provide over 10,500 advanced Tiger Neo PV modules to power Manchester City’s training ground – City Football Academy – underscoring both parties’ strong commitment to creating a sustainable future.
This collaboration will play a part in enhancing Manchester City’s infrastructure and stadium operations, by allowing the Club to produce enough renewable energy to offset its annual power requirements. By undergoing a comprehensive upgraded aided by the technical support of Jinko, the project will see the Club become one of the largest producers of renewable energy in world football. This partnership represents not only an innovation in the football world but also a key step towards a Net-Zero for the Club.
Jinko has earned the trust of global investors and customers with its exceptional R&D capabilities, and extensive market reach. In the latest quarterly 2024 Q2 ModuleTech Bankability Ratings Report by PV Tech, Jinko once again topped the list, earning the highest “AAA” rating. This accolade reflects Jinko’s competitiveness in the global market and showcases the company’s active contributions to promoting the global energy transition. With the Tiger Neo PV modules provided by Jinko, the Manchester City training ground has taken a big step towards achieving its carbon emission targets, and offers a more sustainable training environment for players, fans, and the local community.
As of now, the global shipments of Tiger Neo modules have exceeded 120GW, with accumulative module shipments of over 280 GW, receiving widespread recognition for their excellent performance in maximizing power generation and energy-saving benefits for customers. The Tiger Neo 54-cell modules used at Manchester City’s training ground utilize innovative N-type TOPCon technology, offering multiple advantages and perfectly adapting to Manchester’s variable environmental conditions. Located in a high-latitude region, Manchester experiences significant seasonal changes, especially shorter daylight hours in winter. Under low solar radiation conditions, the Tiger Neo maximizes power generation efficiency with its excellent low-light performance. Additionally, the city’s cloudy, rainy, and windy climate presents higher requirements for the heat dissipation and stability of PV modules. The Tiger Neo’s sealing, and anti-PID features will ensure stable clean energy for Manchester City’s training ground, helping the club achieve its environmental goals.
Pete Bradshaw, Manchester City’s Director of Sustainability, commented:
“Everyone at the Club is thrilled to be underway with installing more than 10,500 solar panels at the City Football Academy. While we continue to benefit from 100% renewable energy under a power purchase agreement, the transition to self-supplied renewable energy will transform the way we power our day-to-day operations by guaranteeing a consistent supply of clean energy.
Dany Qian, Jinko’s Vice President, stated:
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Manchester City Football Club to play a part in helping their sustainable journey. This project will support Man City’s 2030 Net Zero goal and represents a major step in Jinko’s mission to optimize energy portfolio and drive the energy transformation globally. By installing Tiger Neo PV modules at Manchester City’s training ground, we hope to showcase the immense potential of renewable energy in sports and inspire more people to adopt a sustainable lifestyle.”
Overall, the solar panel installation is being split into two phases. Phase One involves placing panels on the rooftops of various buildings within the City Football Academy and is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2024. Phase Two will include the addition of thousands of ground-mounted panels throughout the training facility, with completion targeted before the conclusion of the 2024/25 season.
In the meantime, Jinko will continue to work with Manchester City to connect and engage with fans globally to jointly promote the use of solar energy and further educate them on how they can play a part towards a sustainable future. More information on the partnership can be found here.
About Jinko:
Jinko is a leading global manufacturer of photovoltaic modules and energy storage system. It is on a mission to “Changing the Energy Portfolio and Taking Responsibility for the Future” to accelerate the global shift to sustainable energy and address the most pressing challenge of climate change. Jinko serves nearly 4,000 customers in around 200 countries and regions worldwide. As of Q3 2024, Jinko has ranked first in global module shipments for five years, with cumulative shipments exceeding 280GW+. The company is an industry leader under multiple international frameworks such as B20 and joined the RE100 green initiative in 2019.
Jinko pioneered the establishment of vertically integrated production capacity in the industry, encompassing the entire production process from wafers and cells to modules. The company has 10+ global production bases located in China, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the USA. By the end of 2024, Jinko’s production capacity for monocrystalline wafers, cells, and modules is expected to reach 120GW, 95GW, and 130GW respectively, with N-type production capacity anticipated to surpass 100GW, making it a leader in the industry.
About Manchester City Football Club:
Manchester City is an English football club initially founded as St Mark’s West Gorton in 1880. Renamed Manchester City FC in 1894, the Club secured its first major trophy in 1904. It has since enjoyed success on both domestic and international fronts, most notably becoming the first team in history to simultaneously hold the UEFA Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup trophies in 2023.
One of 12 clubs comprising the City Football Group, Manchester City plays its home fixtures at the Etihad Stadium, a 53,500-seat arena that the Club has called home since 2003. The stadium sits on the Etihad Campus, which also encompasses the City Football Academy, a state-of-the-art training facility that has produced a host of professional footballers since its opening in 2014.
