Sports Technology & Communications News from Around the World

For the cities that win the honor of hosting the Olympics, providing world-class infrastructure for the sporting venues — as well as the athletes’ housing, transportation and more — is truly a game-changing experience.

General Electric, a worldwide partner of the Olympic Games, announced this week that it has exceeded $1 billion in infrastructure sales to the host cities over the past four Olympic Games. 

In fact, since 2006, GE has worked closely with host countries, cities and organizing committees to provide infrastructure solutions for Olympic Games venues—including critical on-site energy, power, water, lighting and transportation solutions, as well as sophisticated healthcare. The technology provided aims to support the organizing committees’ goals of building sustainable Olympic Games that improve the host city, not just for the events, but also going forward.

“Hosting the Games is a transformational opportunity for every city and we are committed to work with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and local Organizing Committees in Russia (2014), Brazil (2016) and Korea (2018) to deliver advanced infrastructure solutions to help create a sustainable Olympic legacy for future generations,” commented Jeff Immelt, chairman and CEO, GE.

This year, GE Olympic Games projects in London include:

• Electric Vehicle Charging: 120 GE electric vehicle (EV) charging stations will support a fleet of zero-emission EVs set to be used during the London 2012 Olympic Games and onward.
• Olympic Stadium: GE Lighting has supplied 14,000 lamps for the 80,000-seat stadium; and GE Energy’s Uninterruptible Power Supplies and large, containerized switch gear will support the ceremonies and track and field events. Along with the stadium, GE’s temporary switchgear solution is being supplied to 17 other Olympic venues.
• Olympic Village: During the Olympic and Paralympics Games, a total of 23,000 athletes and officials will reside in the Olympic Village. GE Digital Energy is supplying smart meters to the residents, to familiarize them with equipment that can help them to monitor and control energy consumption and reduce the village’s carbon footprint. GE Power Controls is supplying some of the power distribution equipment to the residential apartments. GE Water & Process Technologies is providing monitoring systems for storm run-off water at the Olympic Village.
• London’s Tower Bridge: GE, in partnership with power company EDF, the Mayor of London, and the City of London Corporation, refitted London’s iconic Tower Bridge with a state-of-the-art energy-efficient LED lighting system. London will enjoy benefits from the deal long after the Games, as the new lighting system will be in place for 25 years.
• Velodrome: The 6,000-capacity Velodrome will host cycling events. GE has provided low-voltage switchgear for power distribution within the stadium, as well as uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) to protect the power for use during competition.
• Aquatics Center: The Zahra Hasid-designed Aquatics Center will host a number of the most popular events during the games. GE’s UPS are installed in the complex. The technology provides critical power protection for a number of applications.
• Olympic Park: GE Lighting supplied 25,000 Tetra Power AX LED modules and the requisite number of Tetra LED Drivers to light the Olympic Park at night. More than 200 GE Healthcare AED defibrillators will be available at the park, as well as at other venues to protect athletes and the public.
• Energy Center: The Energy Center will provide power, heating and a cooling system across the park for the Games and for the new buildings and communities that will develop afterward. GE Jenbacher co-generation technology specifically, three J620 Jenbacher combined heat and power engines) will power the Games and the 10 MW project is a cornerstone of London 2012’s goals to increase the use of alternative energy, water conservation and recycling strategies.
• Field Hockey Center: GE Lighting is supplying the architectural lighting scheme for the Olympic Hockey Center, which will welcome 15,000 fans during the Games.
• Polyclinic: Designed to provide quality care to athletes, the London 2012 Olympic Village Polyclinic is equipped with GE imaging technology including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a computerized tomography (CT) scanner, ultrasound, digital X-ray, electrocardiogram (ECG), I.T. and monitoring systems to aid in early diagnosis and treatment of the athletes.

Looking at past Olympic Games, GE has been there to provide the following;

• Torino, 2006 Olympic Winter Games – GE provided a wide range of products and technology to support the major venues in Torino including:
  • Lighting for Torino Esposizioni, the Olympic hockey venue, the slalom skiing venue in Sestriere, and throughout the Stadio Comunale di Torino.
  • 300 electronic reactors to reduce energy consumption by over 235,000 kilowatt hours (KWh) per year; UPS for the city venues during the Games.
• Beijing, 2008 Olympic Summer Games – GE managed more than 400 infrastructure projects, touching all 37 official Beijing Games competition venues and 168 commercial buildings in and around Beijing, including:
  • Filtration technology for safe drinking water and rainwater recycling at the National Stadium (“Bird’s Nest”).
  • 73 electrical substations to provide power at more than 50 Olympic Games venues.
  • 120 wind turbines to the Zhangbei and Shangyi wind farms north of Beijing, which supply energy to the Olympic Central Area.
• Vancouver, 2010 Olympic Winter Games – GE managed more than 120 infrastructure and healthcare technology projects in Vancouver, including:
  • Two high-tech Polyclinics (Vancouver and Whistler), which offered comprehensive healthcare for all Olympic and Paralympics athletes and officials during the Games.
  • A 64-slice CT scanner for Whistler Health Center (a first for the region that remained in place after the Games); and digital imaging technology at competition venues to assist in more accurate return-to-play decisions by doctors and trainers.
• Delivering more efficient transportation for CP Rail, the Official Freight Provider for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympics Games, with GE Evolution Locomotive Engines, which reduce emissions by 40 percent and reduce fuel use by five percent compared to previous locomotive engines.

GE currently is working with the organizing committees for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games and Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games to provide technologies for the infrastructure build for their Games.

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