Utilities, Commercial, Solar  -  October 17, 2017

Mercedes-Benz Stadium hosts onsite grid solar

^{Photo of solar panels at Mercedes-Benz Stadium courtesy of Georgia Power.} 

The newly opened Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, which is in the middle of its inaugural season, has been benefitting from more than 4,000 solar panels installed onsite with help from its utility, Georgia Power. 

The rooftop project at the stadium, which is the new home of the Atlanta Falcons, comprises three separate phases that together are expected to generate about 1.6 million kWh of electricity in the first year of operation, according to an Oct. 17 news release. The installation is a part of Mercedes-Benz's broader sustainability efforts. 

In a statement, Southern Co. subsidiary Georgia Power said the solar installations at the stadium are among the largest and most advanced integrated solar facilities at any American sports venue. The stadium will use the renewable energy credits associated with the project in pursuit of LEED Platinum certification, but the actual energy from the systems will flow back onto the grid and serve all Georgia Power customers; the utility said that approach is "designed to allow the stadium to maintain superior levels of reliability, while also incorporating renewable energy into the campus."

Georgia Power said it started work with Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2014 to integrate efficiency and sustainability measures. Local solar installers Hannah Solar and Radiance Energy worked with the companies on incorporating solutions to maximize efficiency at each site: The solar installations feature a variety of technologies, including bifacial panels that can capture sunlight from above and reflected from below, clear-backed panels that are translucent, as well as a modular racking system developed through a partnership with Georgia Tech.

"The renewable energy and solar program at Mercedes-Benz Stadium is a great example of our commitment to lead the sports industry in terms of sustainability and environmental responsibility," Scott Jenkins, general manager of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, said in a statement. "Our goal is to collect enough renewable energy each year to power more than nine Atlanta Falcons home games and 13 Atlanta United home matches and with the solar program we have in place we feel confident we'll achieve this and more."  

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