Yes We Can: Green Stadiums?

Traditionally notorious for guzzling energy and water, stadiums across the country have made strides toward reducing their footprint. Attention to renewable infrastructure, such as solar roof designs, utilization of low-carbon, recycled, and locally sourced materials, as well as innovative water management have led to a growing list of stadiums meeting the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED standards. So now, how about topping off that hotdog with some veggies grown on the stadium roof? It’s happening….

31 Stadiums In North America: LEED Status

Greywater recycling, massive underground harvesting cisterns for rainwater, and ecological rain gardens are among the strategies that have helped 31 (and counting) stadiums meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard of the U.S. Green Building Council. Consider, for example, front runner, Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara California, which earned LEED Gold status back in 2014. Home of the San Francisco 49ers (and host of the 2026 Super Bowl). As Robert Freedman reports for 

Construction Dive, “It’s not just for show”:

• Levi’s Stadium…can accommodate more than 68,000 people. 
• The 12-year-old facility has 1,162 solar panels, low-flow plumbing fixtures and grows more than 40 crops in a 7,500-square-foot rooftop garden, called Faithful Farms. 
• It’s the largest on-site farm at a stadium in North America, USGBC says. Its crops include broccoli, squash, eggplant, peppers, artichoke, strawberries, garlic and herbs.
• The produce shows up in hors d’oeuvres passed around in suites, salads served in premium clubs and menu items made available in concession stands. 
• Surplus produce is donated to local food banks. 

The latest stadium built to earn Gold Leed Certification is New Jersey’s Metlife Stadium. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, sustainability strategies in play at MetLife Stadium include:

• ….On-site solar generation, LED lighting, motion sensor lighting, and hybrid/electric vehicles as part of its energy conservation strategy. 
• The stadium maintains a comprehensive recycling program that includes aluminum, PET, and cardboard baling, along with electronic and universal waste recycling. 
• Food waste diversion, food donations, and material donations are incorporated into the stadium’s material management practices. 
• Water conservation strategies include waterless urinals and water filtration fountains. 
• MetLife Stadium encourages lower-impact transportation by asking fans to carpool or use public transportation where possible, including NJ TRANSIT rail and Coach USA bus service. 
• The stadium provides guest-facing recycling infrastructure throughout parking lots, security checkpoint locations, concourses, and premium areas, including a parking-lot tailgate recycling program with blue bags for recyclable materials. 

Good To Do: Verifiable Sustainability Practices

Though construction companies are under increasing pressure to demonstrate their prowess at environmentally sustainable techniques, it’s wise to be clear when making marketing claims. Avoid allegations of greenwashing by making statements as specific as possible:

• Broad, unqualified claims such as a product is “green,” “sustainable” or “eco-friendly” are often viewed as deceiving. Almost all materials and equipment have some environmental impact. It is a best practice for companies to qualify claims by saying a building material or building system is clean or sustainable relative to a quantifiable baseline. 

• Claims backed up by measurable, verifiable data are the strongest….Be truthful in the scope of the emissions covered by your claim. 

• Any claim that material or equipment is the product of low- or zero-emissions may be interpreted to cover the full lifecycle emissions of the product, including all downstream suppliers of its component materials and any end-of-life-cycle disposal requirements….To mitigate risk, companies should specify if their claims are meant to cover the full lifecycle or are limited to a certain portion.

Aiming For A Bigger Build? 

Though you might not be aiming for the largest stadium build ever, chances are good that someone locally is planning a project you’d love to take on–maybe even the new ballfield for the kids, or the addition to the high school gym. Let us help you gear up!

As a national, direct, and Treasury-Listed surety bond writer that’s been in business since 1930, Colonial Surety Company proudly helps construction companies of all sizes improve bidding capacity, and demonstrate reliability. 

• For Bonds up to $500K: Use our Hometown Bond Program.It’s a credit-based solution for those newer to bonds, allowing qualified contractors to obtain bid and performance bonds as needed, without a traditional surety line of credit.
• For Larger Bonds: Get armed with single and aggregate bonding limits, in writing, and even issue your own instant Bid Bonds, via The Partnership Account® for Contractors. Once qualified, get a surety bond line of credit for up to 20 million single, and 40 million aggregate. Receive free financial scores just for completing our easy pre-qual

Surety Bond programs for construction businesses of every size are right here: Bonding Programs at Colonial Surety Company

In business since 1930, Colonial Surety Company is a leading direct seller and writer of surety bonds and insurance products across the USA. We are rated “A Excellent” by A.M. Best Company and U.S. Treasury listed. Let’s connect today: Colonial Surety Company.