The whole of America and much of the world is marking today’s 23rd anniversary of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, a tragic affront to national security which altogether took close to 3,000 lives. Never forget.
Today’s site commemorating the event is considered holy ground, an emotional visual point marked by fountains which look and feel like bottomless wells of grief. It is a stunningly immediate connection for all who feel the loss of that horrible day in 2001.
The 9/11 Memorial site, on the other hand, also is a beautifully rendered tribute place of artistic significance, designed in a way to truly mark hallowed ground. And like all environmentally sensitive sites, the memorial’s infrastructure aims for sustainable operations.
Several years ago, EnergyTech covered a lighting upgrade at the site, where the New York Power Authority funded a project to install 3,000 LED lights to improve both visual aspects and energy efficiency.
Here is our story about that project, written at the time of the 20th anniversary:
This lookback inspired us to focus on five unique and celebrated facilities which are embracing the energy transition. Those projects range from major city arenas to soccer complexes to a Swedish cultural center high rise which is one of the world’s tallest wooden structures. And we ended with unique biofuels work going on with a Boston distillery.
The Customer Side of the Energy Evolution is Truly Unique and Innovative
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Battery Storage at the Sara Kulturus Timber Tower
ABB collaborated with Skellefteå Kraft on installing on-site battery power to this timber-rich 75-meter structure that contains 20 stories of museum, library and theatre space. The timber part of this is crucial, as the battery storage was designed to power the fire protection system at the cultural touchstone in Skellefteå, Sweden
In the past, the all-critical sprinkler system was powered by backup emergency diesel generators. The update installed Northvolt battery storage and a transformer.
Now that the cultural side of the C&I energy transition is on display bridging both sustainability and resiliency, let us now turn to sports, where passions are strong and, in some cases, no less devoted to cleaner energy connection.
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Rooftop Solar for KC Women’s Soccer Stadium
CPKC Stadium opened earlier this year (image above top left) as the home of the Kansas City Current in the National Women’s Soccer League. During construction planning, the project developers decided to incorporate rooftop solar panels at the $120 million facility’s main game and team store. The KC Current are owned by a group that includes Brittany Mahomes, wife of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and private equity investor Chris Long.
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Energy Performance is Key at Houston’s NRG Park
The complex which holds the venues for NFL’s Houston Texans and MLB’s Houston Astros is spread over 350 acres and consumes plenty of MWh while the competition is on. Johnson Controls was contracted to carry out the 20-year energy overhaul which is expected to save $54 million or more in costs over time.
The NRG stadium park (image above, top right) upgrades include building automation systems, HVAC equipment, water conservation and lighting. The project is being carried out in partnership with Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation (HCSCC), NRG Park and Harris County, Texas.
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Cheers! RNG to Help Jim Beam Distillery Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Developer 3 Rivers Energy Partners is partnering with Beam Suntory’s Booker Noe Distillery in Boston, taking spent distillers’ grains to convert into renewable natural gas. The work utilizes anaerobic digesters to generate RNG to partially power the distillery.
The end-product also offers a low-cost fertilizer for nearby farmers. The anaerobic digester will reduce the distillery’s greenhouse gas emissions by 50% and support regenerative agricultural practices, once completed. It is expected to produce up to 1.3 million MMBtu of RNG annually from spent grain.
