Kaohsiung Stadium, the main venue of the 2009 World Games, made its spectacular debut in July 2009. Designed by Toyo Ito & Associates, one of the top architects in Japan, and Ricky Liu & Associates from Taiwan, the stadium can hold 45,000 spectators.
In addition to its eye-catching, horseshoe-shaped appearance, the building is the first stadium in the world powered by solar energy, and has been awarded the “Green Building Certification” by the Taiwan authorities.
Search for an effective panel fixing solution
In order to maximize the natural daylight, 8,844 solar panels were strategically mounted around the roof of the stadium. The solar panels generate more than one million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, which supports approximately 80 percent of the stadium’s energy needs. To achieve this success, architects and contractors needed to resolve a series of technical issues related to the built-in panels. The job required an effective panel fixing design with optimum energy transfer rate, plus excellent thermal and weathertight performance.
Four-sided structural sealant glazing saves the day
Dow Corning was consulted from the very beginning of the project, and ultimately recommended using four-sided structural sealant glazing to bond the glass solar panels to aluminum sub-frame. This approach maximizes the daylight exposure and hence the generation of clean solar energy by the solar modules. Each unit of the roof façade system has three glass panels, including two solar glass panels (containing solar cell and low-iron glass panels) and one blue tinted tempered glass pane. Dow Corning 983 Structural Glazing Sealant was used for bonding the solar panels and weatherproofing.
Key Participants
Construction Office, Public Works Bureau, Kaohsiung City Government
Toyo Ito & Associates
Ricky Liu & Associates
Fu Tsu Construction
Delta Electronics Inc.
Dow Corning - Silicone Sealant ProviderProducts
Dow Corning 983 Structural Glazing Sealant
With the proven, silicone-bonding technology, the structural silicone not only helps this horseshoe-shaped solar roof building withstand earthquakes, acid rain, typhoons, humidity and extreme heat and UV radiation, but also improves its thermal and acoustic performance by continuous and effective sealing the facade. Dow Corning provides a complete solution, including high performance sealants and professional technical support, which ensures correct sealant application and long-term performance.
Leading the way for more BIPV success
The Kaohsiung World Games Main Stadium was the first 4-sided structurally glazed BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaic) roofing project that Dow Corning participated in Greater China. It is one of the largest BIPV projects in Greater China. Dow Corning silicone structural sealants allow creativity and design freedom, combined with lower life-cycle cost and improved thermal and acoustic performance of the facade. Dow Corning structural glazing sealants are now widely used in major BIPV facades in China, including the 2010 World Expo China, National Pavilion and Theme Pavilion.
Click here to view a short animated presentation about how Dow Corning solutions and support helped to create this revolutionary solar-powered stadium.
Or, to learn more about the Dow Corning products featured in this case study, as well as our many other proven materials for the construction industry, please click here. To speak to your nearest Dow Corning representative, visit dowcorning.com/ContactUs. +
Related Stories
| Mar 20, 2013
Folding glass walls revitalize student center
Single-glazed storefronts in the student center at California’s West Valley College were replaced with aluminum-framed, thermally broken windows from NanaWall in a bronze finish that emulates the look of the original building.
| Mar 20, 2013
Architecture Billings Index up again in February
The American Institute of Architects reported the February ABI score was 54.9, up slightly from a mark of 54.2 in January. This score reflects a strong increase in demand for design services.
| Mar 18, 2013
Toyo Ito named 2013 Pritzker Architecture Prize recipient
Toyo Ito, a 71 year old architect whose architectural practice is based in Tokyo, Japan, will be the recipient of the 2013 Pritzker Architecture Prize.
| Mar 15, 2013
AIA opposes House bill cutting Eisenhower Memorial funding
AIA opposes House bill cutting Eisenhower Memorial funding.
| Mar 15, 2013
Singapore R&D campus takes top honor in Lab of Year competition
Singapore CREATE R&D campus takes top honor in Lab of Year competition, sponsored by R&D Magazine.
| Mar 15, 2013
7 most endangered buildings in Chicago
The Chicago Preservation Society released its annual list of the buildings at high risk for demolition.
| Mar 14, 2013
How to win more work from community colleges
The nation’s thousand-plus community college districts can be a steady source of income for your Building Team—provided you appreciate the special needs of this important sector of the higher education market.
| Mar 14, 2013
Rohit Saxena joins Perkins Eastman as principal
Rohit Saxena AIA, LEED AP has joined Perkins Eastman's Mumbai office as a Principal.