Amid all the turmoil and uncertainty surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles, the team also has a whole new game plan . . . for renewable power.
After nixing an ambitious plan announced a year ago, the Eagles are now in the final stages of planning what they contend will be the largest solar array in the National Football League, and perhaps larger than at any other major sports venue in the United States. The cost is expected to exceed $30 million.
The panels will top the stadium's roof portions, coat the south-facing facade, and form a roof over some of the parking spaces. (Note: The Eagles say the arrays will not interfere with tailgating. Indeed, they may provide shelter on rainy days.)
The valet parking area will be covered by panels that swivel, tracking the sun.
The panels will be the workhorses, but the team also plans to install small wind turbines atop the stadium above the two end zones - if only as a statement.
"They'll be iconic, they'll be visible, they'll be cool," said Don Smolenski, the team's chief operating officer.
Deja vu all over again?
In November, the team proudly announced a different plan - a $30 million project that would include solar panels and wind turbines, but with the bulk of the power coming from a cogeneration plant that could run on biodiesel or natural gas.
The team said that the project would make Lincoln Financial Field the greenest stadium in the world - although that was debatable - and that the project would be finished by opening day in September.
That also turned out to be overly optimistic. The home opener came and went. No solar panels. No turbines.
For weeks, the team rebuffed requests for an update.
Meanwhile, the Washington Redskins unveiled what they said was the biggest solar installation at an NFL stadium - 8,000 panels, built in partnership with the Princeton solar company NRG.
The Seattle Seahawks also launched their new 3,700 solar panel array - touted as the largest in Washington state - on the roof of a building next to their field.
Now the Eagles have outlined a new plan - and what went wrong with the old.
The workhorse of the old plan was the cogeneration plant - the solar panels and wind turbines were more for pizzazz - but that quickly became "a very complex element," Smolenski said.
