The Kansas City Royals baseball team is getting greener with the largest in-stadium solar array generating electricity in Major League Baseball.
The 120 solar panels, which have been installed and tested, are expected to produce 36,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, which is enough to power for four homes. That won’t be enough to meet all the stadium’s electricity needs but should provide most if not all of a crucial element of the game.
“Your beer is going to be cooled by the sun,” said Chuck Caisley, a spokesman for Kansas City Power & Light.
The move into solar energy comes as Major League Baseball is making a push to encourage teams to be energy efficient and use more renewable energy. Kauffman Stadium joins five other ballparks, including those in Denver and Cleveland, already are equipped with solar panels. The San Francisco Giants have a bigger solar installation than the Royals’ but it is outside that stadium.
The Royals approached KCP&L about four months ago about a solar installation and wanted to move quickly so that it would be ready and running for this season. The Royals will play host to the All-Star Game, and the team wanted renewable energy to be part of putting its best foot forward for the national audience watching that game.
Read the complete story at kansascity.com