St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals are Among a Handful of Teams Using Solar Energy to Power Stadiums

Missouri's two Major League Baseball (MLB) teams have recently scored renewable energy projects. Both the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals have installed solar panels that were up and running when the 2012 season opened. At Busch Stadium in St. Louis, home of the 2011 World Series Champions, the Cardinals and St. Louis-based Microgrid Energy have installed 106 solar panels on the roofs of the concession area and ticket building in the Ford Family Plaza. The solar array at the stadium's northeast corner will produce up to 32,000 kWh of energy each year—enough to cook four million hot dogs! "We are excited about this installation because of the tremendous impact we expect it to have on raising awareness and educating people on the strong viability of solar in Missouri," says Rick Hunter, CEO of Microgrid Energy. "The Royals and Cardinals have such a strong presence in our state, so it is exciting to think about the far-reaching impact their solar projects will likely have on growing interest in solar in Missouri." At Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, the venue for the 2012 All Star Game, the Royals have partnered with KCP&L, the local electric utility, to install a solar array capable of producing 36,000 kWh of energy each year. The 120 solar panels are mounted on the roof of Kauffman Stadium's Outfield Experience canopy facing south. A kiosk located in the Outfield Experience will educate fans about the benefits of solar energy and provide more information about the stadium's use of renewables. "KCP&L is proud to partner with the Kansas City Royals on this project - the largest in-stadium solar array," said Chuck Caisley, KCP&L vice president of Marketing and Public Affairs. "KCP&L has a long-standing history of supporting renewable energy projects and is now excited to be able to do that while supporting America's national pasttime." The Cardinals will celebrate Solar Day on April 29 when they take on the Milwaukee Brewers. Along with the Royals, they join five other MLB teams incorporating solar energy at their stadiums. Both the Cardinals and Royals hope their solar projects will reduce energy costs and raise awareness about the benefits of renewable energy nationwide. www.missouripartnership.com