• Udinese's Bluenergy Stadium is becoming a model of sustainability and sharing, bridging sport and the energy transition.
• The stadium hosts the first renewable energy community linked to a sports club.
  
• The incentives generated will fund projects for the treatment of eating disorders in minors.

Renewable energy communities (Cer) are a model of energy production and consumption built on sharing and sustainability. Here is how they work: a group of citizens, businesses or public bodies joins together to produce, consume and exchange energy generated from renewable sources, such as solar or wind power. Energy is produced locally, reducing waste and costs, and distributed among community members, who benefit from more favourable tariffs and state incentives.

The benefits of Cer are manifold: beyond financial savings, they contribute to the reduction of CO₂ emissions and strengthen the energy independence of the territory in which they operate. In a period of ecological transition and climate change, energy communities represent a concrete response to making energy more accessible, equitable and sustainable. It is precisely on this model that the initiative "Energia in campo" is based — the first Cer in Italian football — transforming Udine's Bluenergy Stadium into a source of shared, community-minded energy.

The story of Udine's Bluenergy Stadium

In the heart of Friuli Venezia Giulia, the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine is not merely the home of Udinese Calcio, but a laboratory of energy innovation. With 2,409 solar panels installed on the roof of the facility and an annual output of 1.1 MWh, this stadium is transforming into a sustainable energy generator that reaches well beyond the pitch.

The "Energia in campo" initiative marks a record in the world of sport: for the first time in Italy, a football club has created a renewable energy community tied to a sports facility. The mechanism is simple yet revolutionary: 30 per cent of the energy produced by the Bluenergy Stadium's solar panels — the share not consumed by the stadium itself — will be made available to the community.

The beneficiaries will be local businesses and fans who sign up to the project, who will be able to draw on this shared energy with the added advantage of accessing the incentives provided by the energy services operator.

A model for the future

Furthermore, the incentives generated by the energy community will be directed towards a high-impact social project: support for the Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale and, in particular, its child neuropsychiatry unit for the treatment of eating disorders in minors. The funds will contribute to the purchase of materials, the development of workshops and the creation of rehabilitation pathways that extend beyond the hospital setting, offering young patients experiences in more inclusive and stimulating environments. The project also envisages the opening, in 2025, of the region's first residential facility for the treatment of these disorders.

Udine's stadium is already a virtuous example for European football: energy sourced entirely from renewables, a reduction of CO₂ emissions by 6,500 tonnes, and a facility designed to be active throughout the week, not only on match days. Udinese Calcio and Bluenergy Group are not stopping there.

The Udine club signed the Climate Pledge at the UN conference COP29, alongside clubs such as Liverpool, Atletico Madrid and Tottenham. "This project not only reduces the stadium's environmental impact, but introduces an innovative model of renewable energy sharing that creates value for the local community," declared Alberta Gervasio, CEO of Bluenergy Group.

Udinese's initiative also stands out at a European level. While clubs such as Tottenham and Liverpool are at the forefront of sustainability with renewable-powered stadiums and commitments to carbon neutrality, and Ajax's Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam boasts more than 4,200 solar panels on its roof along with an energy storage system using recycled batteries, none appears to have adopted a renewable energy community model that shares the energy produced with fans and local businesses — making the black-and-white club a true pioneer in this regard.