Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres World Tour is setting a new standard for sustainability in live entertainment by using innovative clean energy solutions. The band has partnered with Kardinia Energy to deploy 500 square meters of lightweight, recyclable solar panels across 21 venues in 19 countries, demonstrating the potential of portable solar technology.
This initiative is not just a concert gimmick; it represents a significant step forward in the adoption of clean energy. The solar panels, made by Kardinia, are part of a broader effort to showcase how renewable energy can be seamlessly integrated into various sectors, including industrial rooftops, disaster relief, and developing countries where traditional solar panels are impractical due to their weight and cost.
Revolutionizing Renewable Energy in Live Entertainment
According to Luke Howell, Coldplay’s sustainability consultant and founder of Hope Solutions, “Printed solar allows us to cover that space with solar PV that’s perfect for touring. It’s lightweight, easy to deploy, and, along with our kinetic energy dance floors and power bikes, it gives us a way to demonstrate how alternative energy sources can reduce emissions on the tour.”
Coldplay’s use of Kardinia’s solar panels has enabled the band to significantly reduce its carbon footprint. By charging their 1.68 megawatt-hours tourable battery system from the grid or onsite renewables, they can offset approximately 1,000–1,200 kilograms of CO₂ per show, dramatically cutting down on generator use and fossil fuel consumption.
Kardinia Energy: Innovating Solar Technology
Kardinia Energy, a small Australian company founded in 2020, has developed these printed solar panels over the past 30 years. Weighing only 300 grams per square meter, these panels are a fraction of the weight of traditional silicon modules, which typically weigh between 15 and 20 kilograms per square meter. Although they require more space, they are significantly cheaper, with a payback period of 12 to 18 months depending on local energy prices.
“It literally opens up the world to a different type of solar energy,” said Anthony Letmon, co-founder and CEO of Kardinia. “It goes on a roof, it can go on the floor, it goes on the stage. We’ve been able to position this in real-world environments, powering shows while demonstrating portability, sustainability, and rapid deployment.”
The panels are manufactured using a roll-to-roll printing process on repurposed wine-label machinery, bypassing traditional silicon supply chains. This method allows for more localized production, making the technology accessible and economically viable even in regions with weight restrictions or high costs associated with traditional solar panels.
Broader Implications and Future Prospects
The implications of this technology extend beyond the music industry. Kardinia’s model illustrates how solar energy can be portable, modular, and part of a circular economy, addressing infrastructure constraints and waste. The panels’ reusable components reduce e-waste, and they can be upgraded every 5–7 years, akin to a “mobile phone plan” model that allows for performance improvements over time.
This innovation holds promise for disaster relief efforts, where the panels can be transported by helicopter to provide emergency power for essential services like water filtration and phone charging. In developing countries, the low-cost, portable design offers a pathway to decentralized electricity, overcoming the barriers posed by heavy or expensive solar panels.
“This is a blueprint for how music and science can disrupt the status quo and decarbonize live entertainment on a massive scale,” Letmon explains. “If it can work on a global tour with the logistical and environmental challenges that come with it, it can work anywhere.”
A Vision for the Future
As Coldplay’s tour continues through cities like Las Vegas, El Paso, Miami, and Boston, Kardinia’s panels will remain on the road, providing a tangible demonstration of what light, low-impact solar can achieve. With Coldplay as a megaphone and Kardinia as a technical innovator, this partnership offers a glimpse of a future where renewable energy is not just installed but performed, showcased, and normalized.
“We’d like to see solar PV used at every stadium the tour visits,” Howell says. “The solar we take with us gives us that opportunity, and it’s encouraging to see more venues installing permanent solar systems.”
By taking solar on tour, Coldplay and Kardinia Energy demonstrate that renewable energy can be portable, scalable, and practical. The lightweight, flexible solar panels serve multiple purposes—from concerts to industrial rooftops to disaster zones, especially in areas where traditional panels are too costly or weighty. As the band continues its worldwide tour, they entertain millions while promoting clean energy globally—a sight worth seeing and a cause worth applauding.
