How the Solar Movement Impacts the NFL
Currently, within the United States there is great interest in shifting to a more sustainable lifestyle. This ecofriendly mindset can be seen expanding into the sports industry.
2024 marked a monumental occasion as the Super Bowl was fully powered by renewable energy transmitting from the Nevada desert. The Nevada desert now consists of over 621,000 solar panels that have the capability to power approximately 60,000 residential customers.
This shift to renewable energy will continue for years to come as the Allegiant Stadium has entered a 25-year contract with Nevada Energy to buy power from solar installations. According to CEO Doug Cannon “the solar installation would supply more than 10 megawatts of power for the Super Bowl and is roughly equivalent to the consumption of 46,000 homes”[1].
Throughout construction of this stadium, following principles of sustainability was on the forefront of everyone’s mind. In fact, the stadium’s roof is made of a sustainable plastic material that allows in about 10% of daylight and blocks all other solar heat. This in-turn requires less energy to cool the building. The grass field was also moved outdoors to maximum the benefits of natural sunlight instead of using energy-intensive growing lights. Finally, all compostable material such as grass clippings are converted into other forms of energy.
Although critics voice concern about the consistency of renewable systems in powering other aspects of life, given the success of this stadium, the U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, stated that “the fact that renewable power can power a facility like this reliably should speak volumes about what could happen in other communities”. Overall, the solar farm not only powers the current needs of this stadium it also consists of massive batteries that store renewable energy and ensure a five-hour power supply even on a cloudy day. This battery energy storage system technology is a key component in transitioning the U.S. power grid towards 100% clean electricity by 2035.
Based on the stadiums tremendous progress it is evident that the transition to sustainable technology is on a path for great success.
[1] Super Bowl 2024 to be powered by Nevada desert solar farm, marking a historic green milestone (CBS News, 2024).
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