Cricket Stadiums and Solar

Yesterday(03-02-2013) was big day in the USA. The Super Bowl – the finals of the National Football League(NFL) – America’s biggest sporting event ended with a victory for the Baltimore Ravens against the San Fransisco 49ers. (For those not familiar with NFL -it could be said that the equivalent of Super Bowl in India is the Indian Premier League(IPL) finals for cricket).
You may wonder what the Super Bowl has to do with Solar. It is this – the stadiums of one of the finalists – 49ers, will use more sustainable energy by installing solar PV systems. According to this report, a system of 400 kWp will be installed in the stadium( 3 solar array-covered bridges, a solar canopy, and solar panels over the training centre). This PV system is expected to provide enough power to off-set one year’s power consumption from the grid.
Makes me wonder, can BCCI do something similar in the cricket stadiums in India? The IPL, for all the fun and entertainment, conducts most of its matches in the evenings and late into night under floodlights. Just imagine the amount of energy consumed over 45 odd days every year. And also think of the amount of energy that goes into TV viewing.
While it is not the responsibility of BCCI to address the power situation in India, it can set a model by following the example of the San Fransisco 49ers. BCCI is such a rich body, and the cost of putting a 500 kWp system each in 20 top stadiums is peanuts. Why not start with Chepauk Stadium, Chennai – the home ground of the BCCI chief, Sawai Man Singh Stadium, Jaipur and Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad?
What do you think?
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