The business side of green for sports Part 2

We've made the point many times:  Sports can be a leader by becoming mecca's, and teachers to the people attending the games, in efficiency and reduction of waste.  We applaud the sites cited below as we finish up part 2 of our story.

Continuing from yesterday as we finish a look at sports shifting to efficiency and clean energy:

Energy

Of 126 professional sports teams in the five major North American leagues, 38 have shifted to renewable energy for at least some of their operations and 68 have energy efficiency programs. Examples detailed in the report include:

• Solar – STAPLES Center has a 1,727-panel solar array covering 25,000 square feet of the arena’s roof. The 345.6-kilowatt system supplies 5 to 20 percent of the building’s energy use (depending on load) and produces 525,000 kilowatt-hours annually, saving an average of $55,000 per year.

• Wind – In 2012, Cleveland’s Progressive Field became the first professional sports facility to install a wind turbine, which generates more than 40,000 kilowatt hours per year.

• Renewable Mix - Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, home of the National Football League’s (NFL) Philadelphia Eagles, will be the first stadium in the U.S. capable of generating 100 percent of its energy through a mix of solar panels, a generator that runs on natural gas and biodiesel, and, soon, 14 wind turbines.

• Efficiency - The Seattle Mariners replaced an old incandescent scoreboard with a new LED scoreboard, lowering annual electricity consumption by more than 90 percent and reducing energy costs by $50,000 a year.

Water

Access to fresh, safe water is an increasingly dire concern across the globe. The report details myriad innovative water conservation techniques that have already been integrated into facilities. These include:

• Irrigation – San Francisco’s AT&T Park uses an irrigation clock that uses up-to-the-minute local data to establish zone watering times, saving 33-to-50 percent in irrigation water use. Changes in the composition of the infield surface have reduced field watering by 33 percent.

• Efficiency –Minnesota Twins’ Target Field installed low-flush, dual flush toilets and aerated faucets, which use 30 percent less potable water than conventional fixtures. This shift is saving approximately 4.2 million gallons of water annually.

• Water Restoration Credits – For the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals and 2011 Winter Classic, the NHL purchased over 4.5 million gallons in Water Restoration Credits from Bonneville Environmental Foundation to balance the amount of water used during the events. In early 2012, NHL Green introduced Gallons for Goals, committing to restore 1,000 gallons of water to a critically dewatered river in the Northwest for every goal scored during the regular season.
The NHL announced in April 2012 that the league replenished more than 6.7 million gallons of water.

Waste

Virtually all professional sports teams have developed recycling and composting programs. Meanwhile, all major sports concessionaires have developed environmentally preferable offerings. The increased demand for sustainable products - like compostable serviceware and recyclable paper products – has resulted in competitive pricing and far more waste being recycled and composted rather than sent to landfills. Examples include:

• Recycling – The Cleveland Indians have cut their trash in half from 1,262 tons to 613 tons by implementing an enhanced recycling program. This reduced the number of trash pick-ups by 64 percent, saving $50,000 annually.

• Composting – The Cardinals’ “4 A Greener Game” program, launched in 2008, is credited with recycling more than 1,836 tons of solid waste, more than 575 tons of yard waste, and more than 110 tons of composted organic material.

• Supply chain impact - The Montreal Canadiens implemented a purchasing policy requiring the organization buy only environmentally-friendly cleaning products. 80 percent of purchases now include products that are locally made and/or composed of reused or recycled content.