New York Jets tackle green energy
The New York Jets has installed an array of 3,000 solar panels installed at its team headquarters in Florham Park, N.J.
Green uniforms have long distinguished the Jets on the gridiron, but now the franchise may also be recognized for being greener than any other team in the National Football League (NFL). Staying true to its competitive spirit, the team claims that its photovoltaic system is the largest of its kind in the league.
The array will provide 750,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year that will be used to power the team's 120,000-square-foot training facility.
"This project is the first of many green initiatives on behalf of the team, and we are proud to be green in color and also in deed," Thad Sheely, the New York Jets executive vice president of finance and stadium development, said in a prepared statement.
Chinese photovoltaic manufacturer Yingli Green Energy was chosen to supply the solar panels. The company was recently chosen to provide 15 megawatts of solar modules for 16 solar power systems in California.
A consortium of companies including SunDurance Energy, a New Jersey based solar power solution provider, and Evolution Energies, which holds offices in the state, were involved in overseeing the project. Syncarpha Capital provided funding.
In August, the NFL’s New England Patriots installed a 525-kilowatt (kW) solar array at Foxborough Massachusetts's Patriot Place. The NFL's Seattle Seahawks plays in solar panel equipped Qwest Field in Seattle, WA.
Likewise, teams in Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, and the National Hockey League have integrated solar energy into their own stadiums. NASCAR affiliated racetrack Pocono Raceway announced a solar farm comprised of 40,000 photovoltaic panels in July.
This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com