In an announcement late last week, the Philadelphia Eagles shared their plan to attain energy independence from fossil fuels. The Philadelphia Eagles in conjunction with Solar Blue, an Orlando, Fla. based energy company, are implementing a combination of on-site wind, solar and dual-fuel generated electricity at Lincoln Financial Field. This will make it the world’s first major sports stadium to convert to self-generated renewable energy.
According to Eagles owner and CEO, Jeffrey Lurie, the energy plan is scheduled to be completed by September 2011, and includes 80 20-foot spiral-shaped wind turbines on the top rim of the stadium, 2,500 solar panels on the stadium’s façade, building a 7.6 megawatt on-site dual-fuel cogeneration plant and implementing sophisticated monitoring and switching technology to operate the system. The energy program is expected to save the Eagles approximately $60 million in energy costs.
“This partnership between a major sports franchise and an innovative renewable energy company proves that sustainable energy practices are consistent with smart business practices for both the user and the provider,” said Lurie.
Solar Blue will maintain and operate the stadium’s power system for the next 20 years at a fixed annual price increase for electricity. The Eagles and SolarBlue estimate that over the 20-year horizon, the on-site energy sources at Lincoln Financial Field will provide 1.039 billion kilowatt hours of electricity – more than enough to supply the stadium’s power needs – enabling an estimated four megawatts of excess energy off-peak to be sold back to the local electric grid.
“The Eagles‘ plan for Lincoln Financial Field represents one of the most extensive renewable energy commitments by any major facility,” said Lee Maher, Chairman and CEO, Solar Blue. “The energy plan will utilize the most technologically advanced wind turbines and solar panels. With this installation, we anticipate that many businesses will see the benefits of renewable energy and be inspired to emulate the Eagles‘ bold leadership.”
For more information on how your organization can achieve their sustainability goals, contact Tom Petersen at Tom@eesolutions.net or 215-881-9401.