The Eagles on Thursday announced that they have teamed up with solar company NRG, which will “design, build, and operate an array of more than 11,000 solar panels and 14 micro wind turbines that, over the course of a year, will provide six times the power used during all Eagles home games at Lincoln Financial Field,” according to Sandy Bauers of the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. Team officials said that it “would be the biggest solar array in the NFL.” Eagles COO Don Smolenski said, "It was important for us to be as green as we could be." The installation is “due to be completed by December.” Plans call for a “wall of panels on the south-facing facade of the stadium,” with more panels to be “mounted atop the overhangs at the top of the stadium.” In addition, more panels “will cover some parking spaces,” and cars will be “able to park underneath.” Plans also call for “helix-shaped wind turbines atop the stadium,” but these will be “more eco-eye-candy than energy workhorses.” NRG has been “actively wooing professional sports teams and other major venues.” The company in December announced agreements “to bring solar power” to MetLife Stadium and Gillette Stadium (PHILADEPHIA INQUIRER, 3/2). In Pennsylvania, Nick Fierro notes the Lincoln Financial Field project “represents a departure from the original plan announced in 2010 that was supposed to produce up to 4 million kilowatt hours per year and be operational by the start of the 2011 season.” Because the transformers in place “couldn't handle the load expected to be generated back into the grid, the plan had to be shelved until something more manageable could be worked out” (Allentown MORNING CALL, 3/2). The deal was first reported by SportsBusiness Journal's Terry Lefton (THE DAILY).
