by Shane Henson — February 8, 2013—The San Francisco 49ers’ new home, Santa Clara Stadium, is slated to be the first professional football stadium in America to open with Leadership in Energy Efficiency Design (LEED) certification, thanks to its partnership with NRG Energy, an American energy company that specializes in solar projects.
As one of the first founding partners for the new stadium, and the exclusive sustainable energy provider of the 49ers, NRG says it will install a number of state-of-the-art solar elements, including three solar array-covered bridges, a solar canopy above the green roof on the suite tower portion of the stadium, and solar panels over the 49ers training center.
According to NRG, the arrays will have a total peak capacity of about 400 kilowatts and will provide enough power over the course of a year to offset the power consumed at the stadium during 49ers home games. As a result, the stadium will be the first professional sports venue in California to achieve net-zero energy performance.
In addition to the solar array, the stadium’s green initiatives include public transit access, convenient bicycle parking, a walking path from the San Tomas Creek Trail, water-conserving plumbing fixtures, recycled materials and a long list of other sustainable design elements.
As the sustainable energy partner of the 49ers, NRG will continue to explore other opportunities to help enhance the stadium’s sustainability efforts, including installing electrical vehicle charging stations to the new stadium, it says.
