Baseball fans have probably already heard that Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox, is going solar. Great fanfare occurred as officials showed off the 28 new solar thermal panels on the roof to heat water. In addition to the roof top panels, the Sox have distributed solar-powered trash compactor bins throughout the stadium for fans to deposit their non-recyclable waste.
According to the Red Sox’s press release the 28 solar hot water panels will reduce the amount of natural gas the stadium currently uses to heat water by 37 percent. The Bonneville Environmental Foundation, which worked with the Red Sox to plan the system, calculates that the solar panels will offset 18 tons of CO2 emissions each year, the equivalent of “planting 4.86 acres of trees, not driving a car for 43,611 miles, or off-setting the CO2 produced through natural gas use from approximately 4 average U.S. homes annually.”
