Isra-Mart srl: Washington Redskins take solar the whole 10 yards

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The Washington Redskins, one of America's most famous NFL teams, has become one of the first US sports franchises to embrace solar energy, announcing yesterday that it is to install up to 2MW of solar panels in its FedExField stadium near Washington DC.

The team revealed it has inked a sponsorship deal with US utility giant NRG Energy, and as part of the agreement the energy company will install three separate solar arrays.

The company will install 8,000 solar panels covering 850 spaces in the stadium parking lot and deploy new thin-film solar cells at one of the stadium's main gates as part of a display demonstrating clean energy technologies. The installations are scheduled to be unveiled ahead of the start of the new season in September.

Combined, the arrays will generate enough energy to meet all the stadium's requirements on non-match days and provide a chunk of the energy required when the team is playing.

As part of the project, NRG said it will also install up to 10 electric vehicle charging stations at the stadium.

"Our partnership with NRG will add to the fans' game day experience at FedExField and offer a unique example of how solar energy installations can do more than generate power," Dan Snyder, owner of the Washington Redskins, said in a statement.

"NRG's expertise and vision are a great match for us, and we are excited to be part of this effort that will reduce our environmental impact and offer our fans another unique experience."

His comments were echoed by Fred Smith, chairman, president and chief executive officer of FedEx Corporation and part-owner of the Washington Redskins, who hailed the strategic significance of the new investment.

"There is nothing like homegrown, in this case stadium-grown, energy," he said. "Solar can be a smart investment. I am pleased to see FedExField moving in this direction and increasing its own energy independence."