The impact that just one single-family home could potentially have on the environment seem small compared the gains that could be made with sustainable solutions at sports venues.
NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, the host of this year’s big game has a seating capacity of 71,795, not taking into account the thousands of vendors, security personnel and half-time participants, and the teams as well. Now, think about the impact that low-flush toilet could have.
A new report by the National Institute of Building Sciences and the Green Sports Alliance investigates each way the nation’s sports venues can reduce their water and energy use. The report, entitled, Taking the Field: Advancing Energy and Water Efficiency in Sports Venues, estimates the water and energy reductions the U.S. sports sector could make, and highlights the financial savings some leagues and teams are already seeing from putting such efficiency initiatives into place.
The report works as a valuable resource for FMs of stadium venues looking to advancing energy and water performance across the sports industry and makes the business case for sustainability. It shares winning formulas made by real stadium managers that emphasize the importance of benchmarking energy and water use at sports venues.
This report was spearheaded by a project team of representatives from the National Institute of Building Sciences and the Green Sports Alliance. The gorup began working on this project with input from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The team looked at the existing data, conducted workshops and Webinars, launched an industry survey, and interviewed representatives from across the sports industry. More than 125 industry representatives participated in these activities, and an additional 20,000 stakeholders received information on the project. This report compiles that data and sets a path for future implementation.
The report, Taking the Field: Advancing Energy and Water Efficiency in Sports Venues, is available to download from the Institute webpage. The study is still open, so stadium and arena managers are invited to participate by taking the survey.
