The Baltimore Ravens are addressing sustainability and rising energy costs by commissioning a solar energy project soon to be built on M&T Bank Stadium. Lumina Solar is planning one Solar panel with 1,000 panels located at the stadium’s North Plaza once this NFL season concludes.
Credit: Shawn Hubbard/Baltimore Ravens Photos
This solar project will cover part of the stadium’s energy consumption. The Ravens will own the solar project and pay to have it maintained after installation.
“It’s all part of our entire sustainability plan,” said Rich Tamayo, senior VP of stadium operations and guest experience. “We’re building new buildings that use extra energy and put extra strain on the grid. Anything we can do to add solar to those buildings to get off that grid, I thought was also really important. It’s something we thought was good, and it’s part of the plan to be good stewards in the community.”
Since its construction in 1998, M&T Bank Stadium has undergone hundreds of millions of dollars in renovations. in 2013 was the first existing professional sports stadium in the United States to earn a LEED-certified Gold designation for its sustainability measures. The franchise reduced water, greenhouse gas emissions and electricity consumption, and increased energy efficiency in the stadium. Additionally, the Ravens have hand-sorted recyclables to reduce waste generated during games.
This latest series is the second solar energy project the football franchise will build on its facilities. The first was a 1,200-panel array installed at the Under Armor Performance Center, the team’s training facility.
