Madrid, 21 July 2009 – Madrid will capitalise on its title as the sunniest 2016 bid city by harnessing solar energy to power the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2016.

July is the brightest month and with an average of 12 hours of sunshine a day, Madrid is the sunniest of the 2016 bid cities. This natural advantage provides the Spanish capital with an important source of renewable energy, helping to reduce the environmental impact of hosting the Games.

The Mediterranean climate will not only help to produce renewable energy to power the Games, but will also provide an enjoyable atmosphere where athletes and visitors alike can spend time in the open air, relaxing and celebrating the spectacle of the Games.

Madrid is committed to delivering a ‘Happy Green Games’ in 2016 and has worked with experienced stakeholders to ensure that all plans meet with the highest environmental standards. Madrid will guarantee that 100% of the energy consumption in the Games venues and the Olympic Village will be renewable at origin, with a large part of this being harnessed from the sun.

The Olympic Village has an innovative and sustainable design, meeting standards set by the Green Building Council. Thermic and photovoltaic (PV) solar panels will be installed throughout the Village, and the internal fleet of vehicles will be powered by electricity produced from the PV solar panels installed in the Olympic Park grounds.

Madrid is also passionate about using the Games to educate people about the importance of being environmentally friendly. The bid team has established a number of initiatives to do this, including ‘Madrid Plays Green’; the plans to host the 2016 Games have been presented in schools to raise awareness of the importance of integrating environmental measures in sports practice. This year the Madrid Marathon also promoted environmentally friendly practice.

Spain has vast experience of renewable energy and is one of the world leaders in solar energy. Spain is home to a large number of photovoltaic (PV) power stations where sunlight is converted into electricity, hosting 77% of the 35 largest PV power stations in the world.

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For further information please call Malcolm Munro on + 44 7795013006 or Nicky Blunt on +44 20 7861 3107

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