As a part of Kings Owner and Chairman Vivek Ranadivé’s vision for NBA 3.0 and City 3.0, the Kings have committed to ensuring Golden 1 Center is at the forefront of green initiatives. Monday’s tour of Rancho Seco Solar Array was the another step in making that an actuality.
100 percent of Golden 1 Center’s energy will derive from solar energy sourced within 50 miles of the arena, cutting nearly 2,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually. The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), via Rancho Seco Solar Array, will provide 85 percent of that energy.
Contrasting past & future. 60+ acres of PVs for @Golden1Center encircle decommissioned nuclear plant. #NewEraOfProud pic.twitter.com/M2Yd5cYe97— Chris Granger (@cgkings) June 21, 2016
“Golden 1 Center will be the greenest arena in the world,” Kings President Chris Granger said on Monday. “It will be powered 100 percent by the sun – which makes a ton of sense in a city that gets about 300 days of sunshine a year.”
85 percent will be powered by the solar farm exclusively, while the remaining 15 percent will come from the roof itself, where hundreds of solar panels have begun being installed.
Chris Granger and SMUD CEO and General Manager Arlen Orchard toured the solar farm for a sneak peak before connecting to the grid.
“It’s 60 acres of over 100,000 PV panels. It’s amazing,” Granger said.
The Rancho Seco Solar Array is a 10.88-megawatt generating facility set to provide clean, renewable power for SMUD businesses and Solar Shares program participants. The Kings and the local utility recently agreed to a 20-year SolarShares partnership for Golden 1 Center.
“It really speaks to the future,” Orchard said of the project. “SMUD has a long history of being a very progressive, innovative utility when it comes to supporting renewable energy… So it’s a perfect partnership.”
Huge thank you to our partners at @SMUDUpdates for helping fulfill our sustainability aspirations. #SacramentoProud pic.twitter.com/vM6yPKfhXS— Chris Granger (@cgkings) June 21, 2016
SMUD’s experts have worked alongside the building’s designers to make it the model green venue of the 21st century. As a direct result of this collaboration, Golden 1 Center is eligible for LEED Gold status – making it the first NBA arena in California and one of the first in the country achieve this prestigious certification.
“I can’t imagine a better partner,” Granger added. “For them to partner with us on this scale is just phenomenal.”
