The home of Irish rugby and soccer is set to become one of the greenest stadiums on the planet.
Irish energy provider SSE Airtricity – the country's biggest provider of wind power – will supply 100 percent of the Aviva Stadium in Dublin's gas and electricity using "clean, green energy."
The switch to renewables is expected to save 2,382 tonnes in carbon emissions this year, according to SSE Airtricity, equivalent to the fuel emissions of a plane circumnavigating the planet 500 times.
"By switching to SSE Airtricity, the energy at the stadium becomes 100 percent green," Stephen Gallagher, head of business energy at SSE Airtricity, said in a news release yesterday.
"In addition to power supply, our expert team of business energy specialists will work with stadium management to identify additional savings that can be made through energy efficiency measures," Gallagher added.
As well as the new supply of clean power, the 50,000-seater stadium is also home to a host of sustainable features. Waterless urinals help save 400,000 liters of water a year, while 18,000 low energy light fittings are centrally controlled via PCs and sensors to ensure efficiency.
Sustainable features are fast becoming a prerequisite for any modern sporting arena. London's iconic Wembley Stadium is also powered by 100 percent renewable energy, for example.
In the U.S., the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, composted 261.26 tons of waste in 2014 compared to 195 tons in 2013, while a "solar ring" of 1,350 solar panels has been installed above the stadium's catwalk.
