Just recently the Philadelphia Eagles announced that by September, 2011, Lincoln Financial field will become the first major sports stadium in the world to run entirely on renewable energy sources. The installation of wind turbines and solar panels will provide the stadium with all of its energy needs. This represents a growing trend among not just sports franchises, but businesses across the globe: the desire to go green. With how many resources these places consume, shouldn’t they be responsible for minimizing their environmental impact? I believe they most certainly are, and the Eagles have set the bar high and are just the beginning of a new green movement. Of course, the Eagles are not the only sports franchise trying to green up their homes: four baseball stadiums in the United States draw a portion of their power from solar energy, while numerous others have switched to energy- and water-efficient technologies. In fact, the New York Mets’ Citi Field is the first LEED certified Major League Baseball stadium and plans are in place to have an LEED stadium in Minnesota by next season. The Moses Mabhid Stadium used during the 2010 FIFA World Cup utilizes a semi-transparent roof to allow in natural light and natural ventilation, and it can also collect rainwater for future use.
Even NASCAR is getting in on the green revolution: a few months ago Pocono Raceway unveiled a twenty-five acre, $16 million solar farm. It is the tenth largest solar farm in the entire United States, and makes Pocono the first sports venue to be powered exclusively by solar energy. Furthermore, the raceway will also be able to provide one-thousand homes with power.
Of course, some people are steering away from green technologies because they are more often than not significantly more expensive than comparable products. Green technologies may be rising in popularity, but their higher costs make them an undesirable choice in construction, to say the least. In fact, the utilization of green technologies in the Washington Nationals’ baseball park increased the price by $2 million. However, many neglect the fact that these environmentally friendly technologies will more than pay for themselves in the long run. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of sports venues everywhere to minimize their environmental impact, and what we have seen thus far is just the beginning.
I think the idea that Philidelphia is encouraging renewable energy is great. Using a football stadium is a great way to reach millions of Americans and encourage them to follow suite.
ReplyDeleteAs you mentioned, there is some criticism, as renewable energy may be more expensive than traditional energy methods. While it may not be economically beneficial, the social and environmental benefits far supersede the economic difference. More people need to realize these social and environmental benefits from renewable energy and this "awareness" will surely be enhanced with the Eagle's new stadium.
Sports venues are a wonderful place to impliment renewable energy and other sustainable practices. With so many people visiting sports venues every year, it's no wonder they consume a lot of energy. Not only is there the energy to power lights but also to power the many consession stands. Also, there are many toliets where greywater can be used to help conserve water. What the Philidelphia Eagle's are preparing to do by 2011 is great, hopefully other football stadiums will follow.
ReplyDeleteI agree that they are moving in the right direction. Once the stadium is running completely on renewable energy there will be a lot of positive press around the subject of green buildings. It seems that colleges/universities are also moving in the right direction when it comes to becoming more environmentally friendly. Do you think the Eagles stadium is just what we need to have college stadiums start implementing these ideas?
ReplyDeleteI think what is most important about this concept is that there are multiple benefits. of course there are the obvious pluses of using all renewable energy and reducing the carbon footprint, but the construction of this stadium will do so much more.
ReplyDeleteFor instance, the structure will create hundreds of green jobs for citizens. Also, this project has given the Eagles' stadium a great deal of attention, so people are more likely to visit and stimulate the economy. Other sports teams and organizations in general will take notice and hopefully follow the green example set by the Philadelphia Eagles. This is truly a step in the right direction for taking care of the environment.
This reminded me of another sustainable energy idea for stadiums. Here is link to an article about something they are trying in Japanese soccer stadiums. I think something like this would work really well here in America, especially at our very own Lane Stadium. Despite the cost of installation, imagine if all of that energy from jumping to “Enter Sandman” were going towards powering some aspect of the stadium. I think that something like this would be perfect for the energy level our students bring to every game, we could cheer our team while powering the stadium….it would be awesome!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/030389.html
To answer Sara's question, I think this is definitely going to push college stadiums to use more environmentally friendly technologies. Of course, you also have to remember that NFL teams make a lot more money than collegiate teams, so renovating their venues isn't as difficult to do.
ReplyDeleteBearing that in mind, while I do see college teams greening up their stadiums, it might take a while unless they can find a very nice donor. Still, there are many stadiums that are running recycling programs, etc. to reduce waste. The EPA also ran a competition to see what college had the greenest fans.
http://blog.cleantechies.com/2010/09/09/epa-challenges-college-football-green-stadiums/
This idea to introduce renewable energy and sustainable practices to sport venues around the country is a great idea. It is a way to get the attention of millions of people and encourage them to support the movement. These types of developments are probably more expensive in many cases, but if cost effective arguments are brought into the equation, I think that in the long run these venues will last longer and have lower operationally costs when compared to the maintenance on the venues used currently.
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