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January 31, 2014

NFL stadiums produce onsite energy with solar PV projects

Graph of U.S. football stadiums with solar PV panels, as explained in the article text
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, based on information received from McKinstry (for CenturyLink Field), a maker of PV systems, and NRG Energy (for all other stadiums)

On February 2, MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will host Super Bowl XLVIII. During the game, aerial footage will likely show 916 external LED fixtures powered by 1,350 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels with a total generating capacity of 276 kilowatts (kW).

MetLife Stadium, home to the New York Jets and New York Giants, opened in 2010, and its PV installation was completed in August 2012. The total capacity of the PV installations is typically dwarfed by the energy needs of powering a football stadium during games and other events, but these onsite energy systems can help reduce the amount of electricity pulled from the local distribution grid. When stadiums are not in use, their PV systems can feed electricity into the local grid.

To date, PV installation projects at NFL facilities are concentrated in the northeast region of the United States and on the West Coast.

image of METLIFE stadium, as explained in the article text
Source: NRG Energy, used with permission

Principal contributors: Dale Sweetnam, April Lee