In June, Jinko, a global leader in photovoltaic (PV) systems and energy storage, announced a multi-year global partnership with Manchester City Football Club. As an essential part of this collaboration, Jinko will provide over 10,500 advanced Tiger Neo PV modules to power the Manchester City training center – the City Football Academy – highlighting the strong commitment of both parties to creating a sustainable future.

This collaboration will help improve the infrastructure and operations of Manchester City’s stadium, enabling the Club to generate enough renewable energy to offset its annual energy needs. Thanks to a comprehensive upgrade with Jinko’s technical support, the project will make the Club one of the largest renewable energy producers in global football. This partnership represents not only an innovation in the football world but also a key step towards carbon neutrality for the Club.

Jinko has earned the trust of investors and customers worldwide thanks to its exceptional R&D capabilities and extensive market coverage. In the latest PV Tech Module Bankability Ranking Report, Q2 2024, Jinko once again topped the list with the highest “AAA” rating. This recognition reflects Jinko’s competitiveness in the global market and demonstrates its active contribution to advancing the global energy transition. With the Tiger Neo PV modules provided by Jinko, Manchester City’s training center has taken a significant step towards achieving its carbon emission goals, offering a more sustainable training environment for players, fans, and the local community.

To date, global shipments of Tiger Neo modules have exceeded 120GW, with a total of over 280GW accumulated, and they have been widely recognized for their excellent performance in maximizing energy generation and energy-saving benefits for customers. The 54-cell Tiger Neo modules used at Manchester City’s training center employ the innovative N-type TOPCon technology, which offers multiple advantages and is perfectly suited to the varying environmental conditions of Manchester. Located in a high-latitude region, Manchester experiences significant seasonal changes, especially with short winter daylight hours. Under low solar radiation conditions, the Tiger Neo maximizes energy generation efficiency due to its excellent performance in low-light conditions. Additionally, the city’s cloudy, rainy, and windy climate requires high standards of heat dissipation and stability in PV modules. The Tiger Neo’s sealing and anti-PID features will ensure clean and stable energy for Manchester City’s training center, helping the club achieve its environmental goals.

Pete Bradshaw, Director of Sustainability at Manchester City, commented: “Everyone at the Club is thrilled to be installing over 10,500 solar panels at the City Football Academy. While we continue to benefit from 100% renewable energy through a power purchase agreement, the transition to self-generated renewable energy will transform the way we power our daily operations by ensuring a consistent supply of clean energy.”

Dany Qian, Vice President of Jinko, stated: “We are delighted to collaborate with Manchester City Football Club to contribute to their journey towards sustainability. This project will support Manchester City’s carbon neutrality goal for 2030 and represents a major step in Jinko’s mission to optimize the energy portfolio and promote global energy transformation. By installing the Tiger Neo PV modules at Manchester City’s training center, we hope to demonstrate the immense potential of renewable energy in sports and inspire more people to adopt a sustainable lifestyle.”

Overall, the solar panel installation will be divided into two phases. Phase One includes the placement of panels on the roofs of several buildings within the City Football Academy and is expected to be completed by the end of 2024. Phase Two will involve the addition of thousands of ground-mounted panels throughout the training facilities, with completion scheduled before the end of the 2024/25 season.

Meanwhile, Jinko will continue working with Manchester City to engage and connect with fans around the world, jointly promoting the use of solar energy and educating them on how they can contribute to a sustainable future. More information about the partnership can be found here.