Solar installation will help 49ers meet net zero energy performance during home games

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 24, 2013-- NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG) and the San Francisco 49ers today announced a construction milestone – the completion of phase one of the solar installation at Levi’s^® Stadium, the future home of the 49ers. This significant step will help Levi’s^® Stadium to become the first stadium that is home to an NFL team to have sustainability and LEED certification standards incorporated into its design and architecture.

NRG Energy lifts the 49th solar frame into place, completing phase one of the solar installation at Levi's(R) Stadium, the future home of the San Francisco 49ers. (Photo: Business Wire)

The 49 solar frames installed are part of the stadium’s NRG Solar Terrace on the West side of the venue. The solar frames cover 9,574-square-feet of the suite roof with a total of 544 SunPower E20 Series solar panels, with an efficiency of 20 percent. Once completed, Levi’s^® Stadium will also include three solar panel covered NRG Energy Bridges, which will serve as the main entry and exit to the stadium, demonstrating NRG’s customizable and iconic solar installations.

“The vision for Levi’s^® Stadium has always been to create a venue that is an economically and environmentally sustainable showcase for innovation,” said San Francisco 49ers President Gideon Yu. “With phase one of the solar installation now complete, we are one step closer to making that vision a reality. As we continue to implement sustainable and environmentally conscious features throughout Levi’s^® Stadium, we will remain focused on pursuing creative avenues to make our region stronger in a variety of ways.”

In total, the solar arrays at Levi’s^® Stadium should have a combined peak capacity of about 375 kW. The amount of solar energy generated annually is expected to be enough to offset the power consumed at the stadium during 49ers regular season home games.

“As its many championships demonstrate, the 49ers 'lean in' on what is important to their organization and their fan base. We are very pleased that their clean energy objectives for the new stadium demonstrate their far-reaching commitment to sustainability. NRG is honored to be the 49ers partner and proud to help establish Levi’s^® Stadium as the new paradigm in green stadium design,” said David Crane, President and CEO of NRG. “It’s an exciting time to see the project progressing with the installation of these 49 frames and we look forward to the stadium’s inaugural season, both for football and the wider adoption of clean power.”

NRG is producing clean, renewable solar-powered electricity on a commercial and utility scale through a diverse portfolio of solar projects across the U.S. and has more than 2,000 MW of photovoltaic and solar thermal projects in operation, under construction or in development across the United States. As the sustainable energy partner of the 49ers, NRG will continue to explore other opportunities to help enhance the stadium’s sustainability efforts.

Levi’s^® Stadium is one of five NRG projects at venues that play home to NFL teams. Other NFL venues, including FedExField, Lincoln Financial Field, MetLife Stadium and Patriot Place have partnered with NRG to showcase renewable energy to their fans. NRG and these NFL teams have similar strategies: invest in a solid combination of proven strengths, flexibility and promising potential to form a balanced approach toward one sustainable goal.

About Levi’s^® Stadium

Levi’s^® Stadium will not only be the new home to the San Francisco 49ers, but it will also serve as one of the world’s best outdoor sports and entertainment venues. It was designed by HNTB and is being built by Turner/Devcon for the Santa Clara Stadium Authority. The $1.2 billion venue will have 1.85 million square feet, seat approximately 68,500 and will feature an expected 165 luxury suites and 8,500 club seats. It was designed to be a multi-purpose facility with the flexibility to host a wide range of events, including domestic and international soccer, college football, motocross, concerts and various civic events, and will be expandable for major events such as the Super Bowl. For more information, go to www.levisstadium.com.

About the San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers, owned by Denise and John York, currently play in the NFC West division and won five Super Bowl trophies including Super Bowl XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV and XXIX. The franchise also has six conference championships and 19 divisional championships and was the first major league professional sports team to be based in San Francisco over 60 years ago. Please visit www.49ers.com and follow the 49ers on Facebook and Twitter @49ers.

About NRG

NRG is leading a customer-driven change in the U.S. energy industry by delivering cleaner and smarter energy choices, while building on the strength of the nation’s largest and most diverse competitive power portfolio. A Fortune 500 company, we create value through reliable and efficient conventional generation while driving innovation in solar and renewable power, electric vehicle ecosystems, carbon capture technology and customer-centric energy solutions. Our retail electricity providers – Reliant, Green Mountain Energy and NRG Residential Solutions – serve more than 2 million residential and commercial customers throughout the country. More information is available at www.nrgenergy.com. Connect with NRG Energy on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @nrgenergy.

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Source: NRG Energy

NRG Energy
Shabina Zakaria, 713-537-2159
shabina.zakaria@nrgenergy.com
or
San Francisco 49ers
Talia Malik, 408-986-4891
talia.malik@49ers.com