Solar panels will supply most of the game-day electricity needed to power the new San Jose Earthquakes stadium slated to open in 2015.
A deal with northern California-based PetersenDean as the official solar and roofing partner of the Earthquakes includes the installation of solar panels in the VIP parking lot. With a peak capacity of 220kW, the system will generate enough power annually to offset all regular season game-day usage. The 882 solar panel array will sit atop a state-of-the-art carport structure, which will provide shade for 94-parked vehicles. PetersenDean will also have significant in-stadium presence with marquee signage, a solar panel display in the Epicenter Fan Zone, and an interactive solar energy monitoring system.
“Having grown up in San Jose and being a lifelong Earthquakes fan, I am delighted that PetersenDean was chosen to construct the large solar array that will in part power the stadium. I am also thrilled to be part of the original group of founding partners supporting professional soccer here in the Silicon Valley,” said owner Jim Petersen.
Fans will no doubt appreciate the solar energy — we are talking about the high-tech Silicon Valley, after all — but they’ll probably find more joy in another new feature at the new stadium: a 400-foot long bar, which would make it the second longest in the United States and certainly the longest outdoor bar on the continent. (The longest: the 405-foot-long Beer Barrel Saloon in Put-in-Bay, Ohio.) From ABC News 7:
And for a game where you don’t keep your eyes off the field for a second, fans there will have a good view of the action on the field. “You’re elevated. You’re up six, eight feet from the pitch. You can look down, see all the action, grab a beer, grab a drink, and just have a great atmosphere to watch the game,” Earthquakes President Dave Kaval said.