Ravens making the switch to green energy

The Ravens are continuing to be trailblazers by leading the league in eco-friendliness. They were the first team to earn a LEED-certified Gold designation by the U.S. Green Building Council for their sustainability efforts at M&T Bank Stadium.

Now, the team is setting another precedent for sustainabilty in the NFL by partnering with Constellation, a leading competitive retail energy supplier. The two entities plan to construct a 375-kilowatt (DC) solar generation project at the team’s headquarters and training facility in Owings Mills, MD.

"Constellation is helping the Ravens extend our efforts to promote renewable energy to the Under Armour Performance Center," said Kevin Rochlitz, senior vice president of corporate sales and business development. "We are proud to be a model of sustainability for the NFL and our fans, and we look forward to continuing to work with Constellation to make a positive difference in our community and environment."

Constellation will own the array, while the Ravens agreed to purchase the electricity generated under a 20-year power purchase agreement.

Per the Ravens' press release, "The solar power system will be located at the Under Armour Performance Center, the team’s 200,000-square-foot training facility that houses a full-size indoor practice field, player support functions, a TV studio and executive offices. The new system will consist of approximately 1,210 photovoltaic panels on the facility’s field house and grounds keeping buildings."

The system will generate "approximately 460,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year", which is "approximately 15 percent of the team headquarters’ electricity needs." The nonrenewable emmisions the system saves from being released into the environment is equivalent to "nearly 13,000 tailgaters with propane grills, or 67 passenger vehicles annually, according to U.S. EPA data for the region."

Hopefully, the Ravens forward-thinking and progressive actions fuel a leaguewide movement. Renewable energy is the best kind of energy.