This New House - The NFL Makes A Play For Renewable Energy

Friday, 23 September 2011 17:53

With the 2011 National Football League season now in full swing, savvy fans are scanning the field for the latest tactics for attacking and protecting the goal line. But above and around the stadium, another important NFL play is in motion: A move to cleaner energy. Following a trend under way at sports facilities around the world, three NFL clubs were planning to showcase new green energy installations this season. The Washington Redskins unveiled their new installation of 8,000 solar panels (and new "Solar Man" sculpture) at FedEx Field today, and are touting their upcoming home game this Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals as "the Solar Bowl."

The next week, when the Cardinals travel to Seattle, the Seahawks will show off the new 3,750-panel array on the roof of CenturyLink Field (formerly Qwest Field) in their home opener.

Perhaps the most ambitious NFL energy project that has been announced, a bid to make Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field energy self-sufficient, will not be completed as planned for the start of this season, said team spokesman Rob Zeiger.

The NFL says it shouldn't be surprising that the league is on the eco-friendly bandwagon. "The NFL is in many ways a copycat league," said David Krichavsky, the league's community affairs director. "When a team has great success on the field using a particular offensive or defensive strategy, it is common for other teams to start using that strategy. The same is true off the field."