PRESS RELEASE: Washington Redskins and NRG Energy Bring Solar Power to FedExField

[SonnyandSam]

Pretty cool and quite unexpected. I guess this is our answer to Philly's wind turbines. Still other improvements to be announce for FedEx Field. Folks just have to be patient.

And predictably, we have the haters who have to piss and moan over anything Snyder related. Can't even accept something for what it is. Nothing negative to hurt the fans yet some are quick to *****.

Yes, Redskins Park is getting a heated practice field this year; and likely a practice bubble. And maybe even be moved to a new location to expand the facility and have a permanent inside practice facility.

And the panels will provide protection from the sun, snow and rain on tailgate days. For the incredibly stupid haters, you do the barbecuing outside the covered space...would seem to be common sense but not for some narrow minded folks. Of course, there is not a lot of tailgaters in the platinum lot. But it is a cool dual use for installing a renewal energy source. They could have just put in panels somewhere or even removed parking spaces to locate the panels.

Skins and Snyder try to be "environmentally friendly" and folks still have to take a **** on the project. Some of you are just amazing pricks

[cincyfan]

I have not heard of any complaints because of these panels. They only cover the parking area so they should not cause widespread problems.

Do you know how the panels at the zoo affected cell phone service?

[Catatonic]

Pretty cool and quite unexpected. I guess this is our answer to Philly's wind turbines. Still other improvements to be announce for FedEx Field. Folks just have to be patient.

And predictably, we have the haters who have to piss and moan over anything Snyder related. Can't even accept something for what it is. Nothing negative to hurt the fans yet some are quick to *****.

Yes, Redskins Park is getting a heated practice field this year; and likely a practice bubble. And maybe even be moved to a new location to expand the facility and have a permanent inside practice facility.

And the panels will provide protection from the sun, snow and rain on tailgate days. For the incredibly stupid haters, you do the barbecuing outside the covered space...would seem to be common sense but not for some narrow minded folks. Of course, there is not a lot of tailgaters in the platinum lot. But it is a cool dual use for installing a renewal energy source. They could have just put in panels somewhere or even removed parking spaces to locate the panels.

Skins and Snyder try to be "environmentally friendly" and folks still have to take a **** on the project. Some of you are just amazing pricks

And some of you are just amazing idiots.

[hail2skins]

S&S, I guess we'll just have to be patient for further announcements. If Snyder wants to bring solar power to the stadium, good for him. Only possible criticism is that this upgrade is sort of going to fat cats.......don't platinum spaces command $100 per game? I still remember the traffic backing up entering the stadium on Morgan Blvd due to the inclusion of express lanes for people who had premium spaces.

If people should direct their ire toward someone, it should be Larry Michael, if he was touting this as some "huge announcement" in his usual way and it turns out to be something that really doesn't affect the average fan much. But again, I'll take a wait and see approach to see if there are further announcements.

[mjpanzer]

This is tremendous news.

The energy crisis ir real, and I am pumped to see the Redskins begin to do their part.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

And some of you are just amazing idiots.

Explain.

[NewCliche21]

And some of you are just amazing idiots.

Nice contribution. :thumbsup:

[The Tris]

This is really cool and I am proud we can be so progressive and forward thinking about a least some areas of this organization.

[elkabong82]

Cool new feature to add. I like the bit about it being a 9 year agreement, which coincides with the end of the lease on FedEx Field IIRC.

[DButz65]

Well our hopes of a roof get dashed by this news...

So does anyone have platinum parking they want to sell? Would not need a tent any longer on rainy days LMAO!

[SonnyandSam]

S&S, I guess we'll just have to be patient for further announcements. If Snyder wants to bring solar power to the stadium, good for him. Only possible criticism is that this upgrade is sort of going to fat cats.......don't platinum spaces command $100 per game? I still remember the traffic backing up entering the stadium on Morgan Blvd due to the inclusion of express lanes for people who had premium spaces.

If people should direct their ire toward someone, it should be Larry Michael, if he was touting this as some "huge announcement" in his usual way and it turns out to be something that really doesn't affect the average fan much. But again, I'll take a wait and see approach to see if there are further announcements.

I think the solar energy aspect is big news. Sure, it does not positively impact fans directly other than letting the Skins save some money on energy that can be spent on other things. But like any of the renewable energy projects, there is a payback period. The upfront costs are substantial. It will take several years to cover the startup costs before the Redskins actually start saving money on energy.Interesting they did not mention that. I would be curious to hear when they actually will start saving $$. I'm not a renewable energy fanatic like some. But, I still think it is a pretty cool idea. But a dirty little secret for all the environmentalists out there pushing solar energy -- the manufacturing of those solar panels creates tons of hazardous waste that has to be disposed of; pretty toxic stuff going into landfills....not my idea of being environmentally friendly....but I digress.

As for the "carports" as I would call them, I think it is a pretty cool dual use of the solar panels. They could have just removed parking spaces instead. The carports will provide some protection from rain, snow and sun. But then, not a lot of platinum parkers tailgate, so I doubt they will provide much if any benefit to the folks who park there. Most platinum parkers are going to the suites where they have lavish food and drink spreads waiting for them.And it is those "fat cats" you call them that can afford those stupid little electric cars that need to be plugged into an electrical outlet to recharge after 15-30 miles.

And why ***** at Larry Michael? It is big news for a lot of people who believe corporate america should reduce its energy consumption. It's not my schtick either, but it does matter to a lot of people. I think it certainly is big and cutting edge for an NFL stadium. It's not like Michael spent 5 minutes every program building it up. When he mentioned it on Redskins Nation, it was like a 5 second statement like, "big changes coming to FedEx Field. Stayed tuned to Redskins Nation" comeo on, every TV show throws out lead ins to keep viewers coming back.

I have no problem if this is "ho-hum" announcement for some. I just don't get the need to criticise something that has no negative affect on the fan. (and I'm not suggesting your comment was being critical...it's others....and you know which ones I am referring to.)

---------- Post added July-13th-2011 at 10:40 AM ----------

And some of you are just amazing idiots.

Glad you figured out you were one of the ***** I was referring to. Your two messages spoke volumes about how little you know and how much you hate.

---------- Post added July-13th-2011 at 10:45 AM ----------

Well our hopes of a roof get dashed by this news...

Don't get too depressed. I know they are actively working on it....it just takes time to do the engineering and negotiate with government types. It's also why no party deck designs yet.

Besides....they did announce new roofs.....new roofs to protect the shiny Mercedes, BMW, Cadillac, etc. of the rich and powerful parking in the platinum parking lot!

I kind of think they look like "carports".....lower income cheap garages.

[Cool as Crud]

Honestly, during the games, my cell is the least important thing on my mind. There's something about wondering if my cell phone is working while my favorite team is playing in a stadium I drive 200 miles to/fro to watch! I don't know, maybe it's me bro!

The question arose, as I understood it, with respect to tailgating and other pre- and post-game activities, not during the game.

[pjfootballer]

So instead of pissing away money on washed up free agents, Dan has found a different way to waste his money. Can you say "Green Energy Fee" added to tickets/parking passes. Or maybe he'll offset the cost by raising beer prices to $30/bottle and adding $1 toilet use fees. Two megawatts is no doubt what the ideal/maximum output of the system could provide, given a perfectly sunny day and between the hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. depending on the season. I'd venture to say he will get NO ROI. Whatever, it's his money, but this screams pure PR move to me.

/skeptical rant off.

He makes money in the long run by saving on electricity bills.

[NewCliche21]

I have no problem if this is "ho-hum" announcement for some. I just don't get the need to criticise something that has no negative affect on the fan. (and I'm not suggesting your comment was being critical...it's others....and you know which ones I am referring to.)

Not that I didn't agree with the rest of your post, but this part resonates with me. It literally has NO negative impact on anyone else, but because it doesn't have a directly positive effect on these posters, they have to get all pissed off about it.

I hope that they realize that this kind of technology, with this kind of exposure in the media, trickles down. I don't know about you guys, but I can't/never would buy platinum parking. I would, however, love to put a translucent roof that garners energy over my driveway so that in the winter I am enjoying putting the thermostat up a few degrees instead of breaking my back shoveling out of the next blizzard.

[JaxJoe]

BFD. Luckily, Platinum parkers probably don't tailgate. Translucent or not, tailgating in a garage would suck.

We're not permitted to tailgate. But some do. When I mean tailgate, I'm talking about grilling and tables and chairs. That's what is prohibited. I'm really not sure why they imposed that rule on us two seasons ago. But standing around and drinking is frequent. I for one have two spots and intend on using the empty spot for some serious tailgating.

---------- Post added July-13th-2011 at 11:43 AM ----------

So instead of pissing away money on washed up free agents, Dan has found a different way to waste his money. Can you say "Green Energy Fee" added to tickets/parking passes. Or maybe he'll offset the cost by raising beer prices to $30/bottle and adding $1 toilet use fees. Two megawatts is no doubt what the ideal/maximum output of the system could provide, given a perfectly sunny day and between the hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. depending on the season. I'd venture to say he will get NO ROI. Whatever, it's his money, but this screams pure PR move to me.

/skeptical rant off.

Not quite. I have personally helped design and sold hundreds of millions of $$ to the federal gov't such solar / wind systems. There will be NO COST incurred to the installation and maintenance of this system. It's called 'shared savings' The amount of energy these create will pay for themselves in typically ten years. Hence the Nine-year contract. After that, a new system will have to be installed as photovoltaic cells have a max life span of 15 years. But, there are HUGE tax incentives that help pay for these systems as well as 'selling' power back to PEPCO on low-use days. And, I wouldn't be surprised if our Stadium would change it's name to Reliant or NRG sooner than later.

[TK]

Predictably, there are a bunch of people complaining about something that is innovative, eco-friendly, and has no negative impact on the fans. I'm curious what non-football initiative the Redskins could pursue that wouldn't lead to criticism? Snyder donates to charity and people complain that he's only doing it for tax purposes. Snyder coordinates bringing renewable solar energy to the stadium and people complain too. Sad.

I've said it before & i'll say it again. If Dan handed out gold bricks there'd still be those ****ing n moaning that they weren't platinum bricks.

The dumb drive by comment act is old, tired, & worn out. If your only ambition in life is to be miserable, I suggest you find somewhere else to be miserable at.

Nice idea by the organization!

[authentic]

I've said it before & i'll say it again. If Dan handed out gold bricks there'd still be those ****ing n moaning that they weren't platinum bricks.

And i'm sure Bmitch would be more than happy to lead the charge.

[pjfootballer]

Predictably, there are a bunch of people complaining about something that is innovative, eco-friendly, and has no negative impact on the fans. I'm curious what non-football initiative the Redskins could pursue that wouldn't lead to criticism? Snyder donates to charity and people complain that he's only doing it for tax purposes. Snyder coordinates bringing renewable solar energy to the stadium and people complain too. Sad.

Nice idea by the organization!

People are so jaded anytime it involves money and Snyder. Like the guy doesn't have the right to make money off the franchise in the eyes of some fans. George Preston Marshall wanted to make money and lots of it. He did whatever he could to keep the money coming in including not wanting any new franchises in the south. Edward Bennett Williams and Jack Kent Cooke (that's Snyders problem, he doesn't have a 3rd name) wanted to make money. What owner doesn't? But in the eyes of some of our fans, Snyder is not allowed to. He pays the bills, but can't make any money. Well, if he doesn't make money, no franchise, no team, no burgundy and gold, nothing. Some fans who piss and moan about Dan making money are the real idiots and have been identified in here. (not you TD)

[B55Green]

Here's a rendering:

http://mms.businesswire.com/bwapps/mediaserver/ViewMedia?mgid=283560&vid=5&download=1

So that's official or just something you came up with?

[Dan T.]

Commie hippies. Burn coal like real Americans.

[grhqofb5]

Is Mr. Snyder going to block out the sun, like Burnsy did in that Simpsons episode? At least he could be more original. And I'm still waiting for my platinum brick.

---------- Post added July-13th-2011 at 01:45 PM ----------

So that's official or just something you came up with?

I've always wondered why some automanufacter hasn't tried to design a car with solar panels on the roof. Everyday during the summer I have to start my car and stand outside of it to let it cool off. Seems like a lot of energy is being wasted.

[SonnyandSam]

So that's official or just something you came up with?

That is the same picture shown on Redskins.com. pretty cool, huh?

[B55Green]

It's very interesting, that's for sure. Nice to see them be the second team in D.C to go green (I don't think Verizon Center has?).

[SonnyandSam]

Is Mr. Snyder going to block out the sun, like Burnsy did in that Simpsons episode? At least he could be more original. And I'm still waiting for my platinum brick.

---------- Post added July-13th-2011 at 01:45 PM ----------

I've always wondered why some automanufacter hasn't tried to design a car with solar panels on the roof. Everyday during the summer I have to start my car and stand outside of it to let it cool off. Seems like a lot of energy is being wasted.

Because cars are already too damn expensive and there is no federal credit (i.e. our tax money) paying for it. Do you really want to spend another $5-10,000 for a car?

I saw a show on discovery channel a few months back that showed one of the big car companies creating paint that wold absorb the sunlight and recharge the batteries in the car. Little flecks of something mixed in with the paint. Sounded kind of cool....of course, it is years away from reality, if then.

And they have a competition every year or so with solar powered cars that compete in races. Surprised you haven't heard or seen them. I'm sure you could find some info by Googling.

[Darth Tater]

So instead of pissing away money on washed up free agents, Dan has found a different way to waste his money. Can you say "Green Energy Fee" added to tickets/parking passes. Or maybe he'll offset the cost by raising beer prices to $30/bottle and adding $1 toilet use fees. Two megawatts is no doubt what the ideal/maximum output of the system could provide, given a perfectly sunny day and between the hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. depending on the season. I'd venture to say he will get NO ROI. Whatever, it's his money, but this screams pure PR move to me.

/skeptical rant off.

I'd bet he got this with a heavily discounted deal, maybe even a deal with "rebates" (read legal kickback) that could reduce the part of Redskins revenue that must be shared and move some to a revenue source that doesn't have to be shared, since for NRG this amounts to a marketing opportunity in addition to a revenue producing one. There are also tax credits. Finally, a PR move also brings in tangible benefits to a business else it would not make such a choice. Also, such a move could assist him in securing certain deals and provide him an opportunity to raise prices (prices are only indirectly driven by costs). All this is more than enough to make such a business decision with a very positive ROI.