Real Salt Lake Owner Dell Loy Hansen on Thursday unveiled Utah's "largest privately-owned solar array at Rio Tinto Stadium," a 2,020-kilowatt solar panel system "installed on the existing stadium structure as well as new covered parking areas," according to Jasen Lee of the DESERET NEWS. The system is "expected to offset" 73% of RSL's total annual stadium power needs -- the "largest offset among North American professional sports and entertainment venues." Hansen estimated that the new system will "save the franchise $300,000 to $350,000 annually, and potentially as much" as $4M over the next 10 years. He added that those savings will "go directly back into the operating budget for the team to pay employee and player salaries." Construction on the project, which was installed by Utah-based Auric Solar, "began in April and took six months to complete." Rio Tinto Stadium now "boasts the fourth largest solar array of any professional sports stadium in the country," behind Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Lincoln Financial Field and Pocono Raceway (DESERET NEWS, 10/9).
