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16-Time World Champs Welcome Solar Energy To The Family


Los Angeles Lakers install solar panels

The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most successful sports franchises in the world because of their commitment to excellence. On the court, LeBron James may make all the headlines, but another new addition deserves equal attention: the team’s state-of-the-art, solar-powered practice facility. The UCLA Health Training Facility in El Segundo, which opened last year, features nearly 500 LG NeON 2 solar panels on its roof, making it the first practice facility in North America to install LG solar panels . Solar energy should prove a slam dunk for both the Lakers and the environment— it will save the team $38,000 a year in energy costs, while offsetting nearly 13 million pounds of CO2. The team expects to recoup its investment within four years.

Solar power is becoming increasingly popular across professional sports, as teams realize the benefits of going green.

How Popular Is Solar Power In Sports?

Solar power has exploded in the sports world over the past few years— there are now 37 American sports stadiums that produce 46 megawatts of solar capacity combined. Assuming one megawatt powers 1,000 houses, that’s enough energy to power 46,000 homes!

Here are some more eye-opening statistics on solar power and sports:

● All seven major sports leagues— NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, NASCAR, and IndyCar— boast solar assets. ● There are 37 sports stadiums that currently use solar energy, including a third of NFL stadiums, and 30 percent of all MLB and NBA arenas. ● 75 percent of all solar capacity at sports arenas has been installed within the past five years. ● More than 42 million Americans visit a sports arena with a solar system annually.

The growth of sports solar happens to dovetail with the growth of residential solar — the global solar market grew by nearly 30 percent in 2017.

Residential solar panels
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