PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles are taking their gridiron off the grid.
The team said Thursday that it will add wind turbines, solar panels
and a cogeneration plant at Lincoln Financial Field over the next year, a
combination that will make the stadium self-sufficient and let the
Eagles sell some power back to the electric grid.
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said the plan was part of the Eagles commitment to be a socially responsible organization.
“Owning an NFL team, I think you have an opportunity to lead the
way,” Lurie told The Associated Press. “It’s a public building seen
across the country and, sometimes, the world.”
Under the plan, approximately 80 spiral-shaped wind turbines will be
mounted on the stadium’s roof and 2,500 solar panels attached to the
stadium’s facade. Together, they will contribute an estimated 30 percent
to the total energy production.
An onsite “dual-fuel” cogeneration plant, a small power plant that
captures its heat for increased efficiency, powered by biodiesel and
natural gas will contribute the rest of the energy. The system is
designed to produce at least 8.6 megawatts of power, enough to meet the
stadium’s peak energy use of around 7 megawatts.
The construction project will employ an estimated 200 workers over the course of the next year.
SolarBlue, an Orlando, Fla.-based renewable energy company, will pay
$30 million to install and run the system for 20 years. The team will
pay the firm for its power, the cost of which will increase at a fixed 3
percent annual rate.
The project is expected to be finished by September, and the team estimates it will save $60 million in energy costs.
read entire story at Huffington post