It seems you can’t turn around these days without encountering news of yet another major sporting arena gone green. From the Minnesota Twins’ LEED certified ballpark to the Redskins’ major solar power commitment, it seems clear that more and more professional sports franchises have gotten the memo about conserving resources — the latest of which is the Kansas City Royals, which will be using solar panels to provide a portion of the power used at Kaufman Field.
The Royals and Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L) have formed a solar energy partnership and unveiled what they’re calling “the largest in-stadium solar array in Major League Baseball.” That array consists of a string of 120 solar panels — 60 on each of side of the CrownVision board — that have been installed on top of the canopy of Kauffman Stadium’s Outfield Experience seating area. These panels will provide part of the electrical energy required to operate the stadium — specifically, the amount of energy needed to cool fans’ brews.
image via Kansas City Royals
That’s right, baseball fans: solar-powered cooled beer.
Chuck Caisley, KCP&L vice president of marketing and public affairs, said, in a statement: “We’re thinking at this point it’ll probably be enough to power the refrigeration for all the beverages in the stadium. We’re working with [concessionaire] Aramark to confirm that, but about [what is needed for] four to six residential houses or 36,000 kilowatt hours a year is what it’ll produce.”
He goes on to note that the Kaufman Field solar installation represents a great opportunity to put the region on display to the world for things that people may not know about Kansas City — specifically, the fact that it is “a growing epicenter nationally of advanced energy.”
Other green initiatives in place at Kaufman field include paperless ticketing and recycling. More information is available online.
[source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Earthtechling/~3/1wTc0PoECyg/]
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