Solar Energy: Powering Professional Sports Stadiums

It is becoming more and more common to hear of solar panels being installed on commercial buildings as a source of renewable energy as well as on residential homes.  The energy cost savings are undeniable, not to mention the considerable impact solar energy has on a structure's carbon footprint.  It shouldn't come as a surprise that professional sports arenas are getting in on the savings as well.  With gargantuan operating expenses and soaring energy usage, not to mention rising market costs, the use of renewable energy makes good business sense for these large stadiums and arenas.

As reported by EnergySage, the list of professional arenas/teams embarking on the solar energy front so far include:

NFL:

• Gillette Stadium - New England Patriots
• Lincoln Financial Field - Philadelphia Eagles
• Levi's Stadium - San Francisco 49ers
• MetLife Stadium - New York Giants and Jets
• FedEx Field - Washington Redskins
• CenturyLink Field - Seattle Seahawks

MLB:

• Fenway Park - Boston Red Sox
• Chase Field - Arizona Diamondbacks
• AT&T Park - San Francisco Giants
• Busch Stadium - St. Louis Cardinals
• Safeco Field - Seattle Mariners
• Kauffman Stadium - Kansas City Royals
• Progressive Field - Cleveland Indians
• Coors Field - Colorado Rockies

NBA:

• Staples Center - L.A. Lakers and Clippers
• US Airways Center - Phoenix Suns
• Pepsi Center - Denver Nuggets
• Downtown Oakland Practice Facility - Golden State Warriors

NHL:

• Pepsi Center - Colorado Avalanche
• Staples Center - L.A. Kings

NASCAR:

• *Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, PA

*25 acre solar farm that provides electricity for entire facility as well as 1,000 homes nearby, producing between 3 and 4 million kWh per year!

The amount of energy produced from the solar installations in some of these stadiums is quite remarkable.  For instance, at Lincoln Financial Field the installed 11,000 solar panels cover six times the annual energy use of the stadium.  At Safeco Field in Seattle, (one of the rainiest cities in the U.S.,) the solar array will generate 40,000 kWh of electricity a year, equating to planting more than 700 trees a year.  Additionally, in Oakland where the Golden State Warriors play, the solar system is expected to save them more than two million dollars in electricity costs over the next twenty-five years.

It is truly astonishing to consider the power of a solar PV array can yield, from the cost savings to the environmental benefits.  For more details on each stadium's solar set-up, read "Solar Energy’s Quiet Invasion Into Professional Sports (List of Solar Teams & Stadiums)", (Cleantechnica.com.)

For more information on how to harness the power of the sun to benefit your facility, call our experts today at 913.310.0705.

Sources: CleanTechnica.com, EnergySage.com