Solar installation completed at Climate Pledge Arena
The 1.2 MW installation will join a host of other renewable resources in powering the stadium’s 11 GW electricity load.
A 1.2 MW solar installation set to power Climate Pledge Arena, home of the NHL’s newest franchise, the Seattle Kraken, and the WNBA’s Seattle Storm, is officially complete. Unico Solar Investments is the owner/operator of the project.
The installation encompasses three locations across two campuses: the new Alaska Airlines Atrium in front of the arena, an adjacent parking garage, and a training facility in another part of the city. Panels at the atrium site are flush mounted on the roof, the parking garage features canopy solar at its rooftop level, and the training facility site utilizes a ballasted installation with panels at a 10-degree tilt.
The install was done by McKinstry, and inverters were being supplied by Chint Power Systems.
While this project is not the only source of power for the stadium, all the other power sources that feed the Kraken are 100% renewable energy. The stadium features an 11 GW electric load, while the off-site facility hosting the third leg of the installation has a separate load of around 2 MW.
Unico said the stadium is currently in the process of obtaining certification from the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) as the first net-zero-carbon stadium in the world. Climate Pledge Arena has also implemented water conservation measures and zero-waste goals, including eliminating single-use plastic within the arena by 2024.
Climate Pledge Arena’s YouTube channel has also uploaded a video outlining the installation:
Though the installation features 1.2 MW of nameplate capacity, it is expected to generate 535 MWh in its first year, due in part to Seattle’s stormy and cloudy climate. The developers said that Seattle’s decidedly rainy climate will help wash the solar panels, which will help to combat soiling-created degradation and drops in generation.
Project financing was made available through Excelsior’s $500 million Renewable Energy Investment Fund I LP. The Kraken organization will retire applicable renewable energy credits, and the developers plan to use a Washington State program that allows 50% recovery of related sales and use taxes in the near future, now that the project is complete.
From: https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2021/10/25/watch-solar-installation-completed-at-climate-pledge-arena/
