5/1/2012
Solar Panel Installation Begins
Construction Starts on Solar Installation at Patriot Place
NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG) and The Kraft Group have started construction of a futuristic solar canopy, part of a 1 megawatt (MW) solar installation at Patriot Place expected to be completed by the start of the 2012-2013 pro football season.
The canopy will generate clean, renewable power while providing shade and cover for visitors to the shopping, retail and dining destination’s North Marketplace by partially covering the outdoor walkways with a combination of standard and translucent solar panels.
Standard rooftop solar panels will provide additional power, bringing the expected annual output of the solar power system to 1.1 million kilowatt hours, or the equivalent of powering an average household for almost 100 years. Upon completion, 60% of Patriot Place’s electricity use will be provided by solar power, reducing carbon emissions by more than 800 metric tons every year, or the equivalent to taking 575 cars off the road.
Patriot Place is located adjacent to Gillette Stadium—home of the NFL’s New England Patriots and the MLS’s New England Revolution—in Foxborough, Massachusetts. In December 2011, NRG and The Kraft Group announced a comprehensive sustainable energy supply agreement for Gillette Stadium and Patriot Place. NRG will also provide all the additional non-solar power for the nearly 70,000-seat stadium and the more than 1 million square foot retail and entertainment complex.
NRG owns and operates 450 MW of wind power and is the largest solar developer in the United States with more than 900 MW of solar generation in operation or under construction at the end of 2011, and an additional 1,000 MW in development.
Read more on the Solar Canopy Project here>
About NRG
NRG is at the forefront of changing how people think about and use energy. A Fortune 500 company, NRG is a pioneer in developing cleaner and smarter energy choices for our customers: whether as one of the largest solar power developers in the country, or by building the first privately funded electric vehicle charging infrastructure or by giving customers the latest smart energy solutions to better manage their energy use. Our diverse power generating facilities can support over 20 million homes and our retail electricity providers—Reliant, Green Mountain Energy Company and Energy Plus—serve more than two million customers. More information is available at nrgenergy.com.
About Patriot Place
Patriot Place is a shopping, dining and entertainment destination located adjacent to Gillette Stadium on Route 1 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Patriot Place features large and boutique retailers, 17 casual to high-end restaurants and other nightlife venues. Among Patriot Place’s highlights are New England’s first Bass Pro Shops, a 14-screen Showcase Cinema De Lux, CBS Scene Restaurant & Bar, Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill, the award-winning Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon, a Brigham & Women’s/Mass General Health Care Facility, and a four-star Renaissance Hotel & Spa. For more information, visit www.patriot-place.com, follow Patriot Place on Twitter (twitter.com/patriotplace) or like Patriot Place on Facebook (facebook.com/patriotplace).