May 6 2008
The DC Sports and Entertainment Commission (DCSEC) has offset 70 percent of the electricity use at Nationals Park, home of Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Washington Nationals, with its purchase of 14,600,706 kWh of renewable energy credits (RECs), from Boulder, Colo.-based Renewable Choice Energy, helping the ballpark to achieve silver-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.
“The DC Sports and Entertainment Commission’s commitment to building a green ballpark is a great example of how organizations can help drive our nation’s renewable energy infrastructure,” said Quayle Hodek, CEO of Renewable Choice Energy. “We’re proud to play a role in Major League Baseball’s first LEED-certified building.”
The DCSEC oversaw the stadium’s construction and now serves as its landlord. The architecture firm, HOK Sport, designed the ballpark and managed the LEED certification process. Nationals Park opened on March 30, 2008 and is the first MLB stadium to be LEED-certified.
The LEED rating system was designed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to guide and distinguish high-performance buildings that have less of an impact on the environment and are healthier for building occupants. LEED addresses all building types and emphasizes state-of-the-art strategies in five areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials and resources selection, and indoor environmental quality.
In addition to its investment in renewable energy, the ballpark features green design elements such as:
- Recycled materials in 20 percent of the ballpark’s construction
- A 6,300-square-foot green roof beyond left field to collect rain water and minimize roof heat gain
- High-efficiency field lighting, saving 21 percent over typical field lighting
- Water-conserving plumbing fixtures, reducing overall water consumption by 30 percent
- Recycling bins for fan use throughout the ballpark