Super Bowl 50 fans will see the greenest stadium in the country when the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers play Sunday. Levi’s Stadium is slated to be the first U.S. professional football stadium to achieve LEED Gold certification.
Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) is a U.S. Green Building Council certification that recognizes the best-in-class sustainable buildings.
Kansas City based architecture firm, HNTB designed the $1.2 billion stadium in Santa Clara, CA.
Top photo: Solar panels were used to create a roof deck at the NRG Solar Terrace. Bottom photo: The 27,000-square-foot rooftop garden is located adjacent to the solar terrace. Photos by: Rocor / CC BY
Opened in August 2014, Levi Stadium features an extensive commitment to sustainability that includes renewable energy, water and energy efficiency, recycling, and local food. A dashboard display in the stadium shows fans current energy measurements, water and air monitors and how other green features are operating daily.
The stadium:
- Generates electricity from three NRG Energy solar-paneled pedestrian bridges and one solar-paneled roof deck on the NRG Solar Terrace
- Features a 27,000-square-foot garden on top of the stadium’s suite tower
- Used 100-percent reclaimed wood from a local airplane hanger at Moffett Field in Mountain View, CA for the Citrix Owners Suites
- Reclaims water for potable and non-potable uses such as the playing field irrigation system
- Focuses concession areas on using local suppliers to provide farm-to-table menus
- Provides recycling and composting throughout the stadium
- Is located near public transportation and a bike trail
Top photo: By Matthew Roth / CC BY
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