Energy Matters : Opening Day

Baseball.

I was in New York on Tuesday, opening day for the New York Yankees.

No need to mention your team preference in NYC. Just say you're from Boston and they fill in the blank.

So, the evening news made much of the Yankees last year of play in Yankee Stadium. That got me to wondering how "green" the new Yankees ballpark will be.

That's because a few days earlier the Washington Nationals opened in their new "green" ballpark.
(Beat the Braves 3-2.)

"D.C. turns brownfield into 'green' ballpark"

"The Washington Nationals' gleaming new baseball park...will be the first green professional stadium in the United States,..."

And why not?

Somewhere between 50-60% of the energy consumed in the US is consumed by buildings of all types. (About 15% of that is said to be consumed by data centers but that seems high to me.) Ballparks aren't typically the first example that comes to mind for environmental efficiencies but they capture the imagination don't they?

Ballparks, stadiums, sports arenas, collectively they occupy significant real estate, consume significant construction materials and energy and use large portions of energy to operate.

What if they could set an example for all the fans that pass through?

"The Nationals Stadium received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certification from the council yesterday for its energy-conserving and environmental design.

To earn the certification, the ballpark was outfitted with energy-saving light fixtures, water-conserving plumbing, drought-resistant plants, and a green roof over the concessions area.

It was also erected on a restored brownfield, and it has special systems in place to keep stormwater runoff from polluting the nearby Anacostia River.

"One of the things that really strikes me about stadium facilities is that they directly touch millions of people over the course of their existence," the council's Brendan Owens said. "

The stadium will use air-cooled chillers for concessions instead of water-cooled ones, as well, which will probably save 6 million gallons of water each year.

The stadium's proximity to public transportation helped it earn the LEED certification."

The LEED certification may add some cost - up front. But there is widespread agreement that costs of incorporating energy efficient building design will pay off - frequently in very short time frames.

So why can't more stadiums and sports facilities go after the LEED certification? City governments often end up giving tax breaks or issuing bonds for these facilities. How about including environmental saving factors in the agreement?

The Mets are stepping up:

"The baseball diamond won't be the only thing that's "green" at the new Mets stadium, which will be built and equipped with a variety of environmentally conscious features..."

What about the new Yankee Stadium?

May be the only way they can best the Red Sox.

Or, maybe not...Red Sox Swing for the Green