The 90 second video was completed for the US Department of Energy American Made. Challenge Herox Solar Round 8, 2024. We have identified a novel low cost solution to create data from field testing 200 prototype units in a participating sports stadium complex.
Thank you to all the wonderful people who have donated time, space and interest to support this endeavor. Thanks to the Center for Innovation at the University of Arizona for support with this year’s entry. Please click on the Blog page to read our most current updates and a description of the projects developing scope and impact. This innovative challenge needs your support, thank you!
Our unique and proprietary technology builds on these trends by collecting the untapped value; incorporating photovoltaic modules into outdoor sports stadium seating. We make each seat a solar panel which is highly efficient at capturing solar energy in stadiums around the world.
Large outdoor sports stadiums cost enormous sums of money to develop and construct. The three newest professional football stadiums have cost $720 million (Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis Colts, 2008), $1.15 billion (Dallas Cowboys, 2009) and $1.6 billion (MetLife Stadium, New York Jets and New York Giants, 2010). Moreover, we need to reduce the high costs of public funding when building and supporting large outdoor sports stadium projects to enable positive outcomes. While host countries, cities and organizations dream of the prestige and economic benefits of sports stadiums and events, there are often many significant hidden environmental costs.
Development authorities and sports franchises around the world are interested in reducing the cost to the taxpayer as lower costs increase the likelihood of successful developments of outdoor sports stadiums, creating more jobs and sustainable outcomes. In today’s environment, public funds may be more limited and additional costs for health and safety of stadium fans will be required. Basic strategies used today to save money at sports stadiums have to do with reducing waste, recycled paper, reduced utility costs, installing LED lighting, and obtaining LEED Building Certification, however, the biggest returns come from installing and utilizing solar panels.
Our unique and proprietary technology builds on these trends by collecting the untapped value; incorporating photovoltaic modules into outdoor sports stadium seating. We make each seat a solar panel which is highly efficient at capturing solar energy in stadiums around the world. Sunflower Seating and its CEO, Mark Walker, successfully developed and was awarded a utility patent for this technology in October 2018. Utilization of this technology to allow us to generate millions of megawatt hours of electricity from outdoor stadium seats.
Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia is able generate 3MW of energy; 4x the amount of energy consumed in an entire season of home games and this energy “windfall” will be generated for 25+ years. The plan commercializing this technology presents the opportunity to create the first truly production ready, high quality, highly efficient, durable photovoltaic module incorporated into a durable outdoor sports stadium seat.