Which NFL stadiums are solar champions?

Photo credit: Kleinman Center for Energy Policy

Super Bowl 59 is on Sunday, February 9th, when the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans will host the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs for the championship game of this NFL season. Completed in 1975, the Superdome provides seating for more than 70,000 fans, and is the largest fixed dome structure in the world. Despite being one of the biggest stadiums out there, the New Orleans Superdome doesn’t have one thing that many other NFL stadiums have invested in over the years: Solar power.

When it comes to solar powered stadiums, the NFL leads the charge compared to other major league sports, with 32% of its stadiums partially powered by solar energy, according to the Solar Energies Industry Association (SEIA). The NBA and MLB aren’t far behind, with 30% of their stadiums also relying on solar power.

More than two dozen NFL stadiums have solar panels installed, and more sports stadiums overall are adopting solar power as awareness about the benefits of energy-efficiency grows. Let’s take a look at a few of the most solar friendly football stadiums and how they’re using solar power to reduce their carbon footprint, save money, and support renewable energy across the US.

Lincoln Financial Field, home of the Philadelphia Eagles, has made serious commitments to sustainability and is one of the most energy efficient stadiums in the world. Lincoln field installed more than 10,000 solar panels in 2012, which produce about 4,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of energy annually. This solar energy provides power for more than 33% of Lincoln Financial’s energy consumption each year, and more than covers the 10 home games played in the stadium each season. 

Many of the panels at Lincoln Financial Field are situated over the stadium’s parking lots, offering visitors shelter from rain and snow in the winter and shade during summer months, while others are located atop the stadium roof and its outer walls. For its commitment to operational sustainability, Lincoln Financial Field was certified as a LEED Platinum building in 2024.

Photo credit: Clark Construction

Northwest Stadium (formerly FedEx Field) has been the stadium for the Washington Commanders since opening in 1997. In 2011, it installed more than 8,000 solar panels that are capable of producing more than 2,000 MWh of electricity each year. Most of the panels are distributed across more than 800 covered parking spaces that shield attendees from the sun and rain, while a smaller number were installed on walkways and other rooftops around the stadium. 

As part of its overall solar installation, the stadium also has a fun solar-specific feature: A 30 foot tall silhouette of a quarterback nicknamed “Solar man,” which uses thin-film solar cells to contribute to the stadium’s overall energy generation. 

Photo credit: HHRM/Aerial Innovations

The Atlanta Falcons call the Mercedes-Benz Stadium their home, where more than 4,000 solar panels have been contributing to the stadium’s energy efficiency goals since it was built in 2017. Solar panels cover part of its main parking area, with more panels located on the stadium’s entry gates and in other parking areas. Combined, the total solar generation from the Mercedes-Benz stadium amounts to more than 1,600 MWh of electricity each year, capable of powering more than nine of the Falcon’s home games each season.

Photo credit: Rod Mar/Seattle Seahawks

Lumen Field (formerly CenturyLink Field), home of the Seattle Seahawks, also touts significant solar installations. It boasts 3,750 panels spread across 2.5 acres of the roof of the Lumen Field Event Center, producing more than 830 MWh of energy annually. That gives the stadium major solar savings, and lowers its utility costs by 20% annually.

Lumen Field is also equipped with an energy efficient “cool roof” that helps reduce heat absorption, requiring less air conditioning for the stadium at games during the hot summer months.

Photo credit: Patriot Place

Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts is another standout when it comes to solar energy production. Home to the New England Patriots, it has more than 3,000 solar panels installed on the roof of the Patriot Place shopping center, which is a large part of the stadium experience. The stadium was ahead of the curve when it came to investing in solar, with its first panels being installed more than a decade ago in 2010, providing an average of 625,000 kWh of electricity in a given year. 

The stadium expanded its commitment to solar power by adding more panels in 2012. Gillette built a solar canopy that offers shade for fans and shoppers visiting the open air entertainment area of the stadium. With the addition of the solar canopy, total solar power output at Gillette Stadium now averages closer to 1,100 MWh each year, which covers more than 60% of the energy requirements for Patriots Place annually.

Photo credit: Brian Haux SkyHawk Photography

The San Francisco 49ers play their home games at Levi’s Stadium, the first NFL stadium to receive a LEED Gold certification for new construction when it opened in 2014. The home of the 49ers is powered in part by more than 1,150 solar panels that are located on the stadium roof and on top of pedestrian bridges leading from parking lots to the arena building. Over the course of a full year, these solar panels produce enough energy to cover all ten home games played by the 49ers during each regular season.