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Reliable energy supports Baltimore’s professional football and baseball teams

‘Green steam’ and O&M of an onsite chilled water plant provide reliable energy at M&T Bank Stadium and the Oriole Park at Camden Yards – the home stadiums of the Ravens football and Orioles baseball teams.

Scope

Since construction of Oriole Park at Camden Yards in 1992 and the M&T Bank Stadium in 1998, both stadiums have leveraged the Baltimore district energy system for heating and domestic hot water. To provide cooling and chilled water to both stadiums, its owners, the Maryland Stadium Authority, opted to construct its own onsite chilled water plant in 1997, which Vicinity Energy currently operates under an O&M agreement.

Challenge

Nestled in downtown Baltimore a few blocks from the Inner Harbor, the retro-style Oriole Park at Camden Yards blends traditional baseball stadium design with modern features. Adjacent to Camden Yards, the M&T Bank Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium and one of the most praised stadiums in the National Football League for fan amenities, ease of access, concessions and other facilities. As two of the most preeminent sports stadiums in the country, both facilities are LEED Gold certified (Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance) and feature state-of-the-art amenities and systems, including the use of ‘green steam’ from the Baltimore district heating network for heating and domestic hot water. Although, when construction of the M&T Bank Stadium was being planned, an efficient cooling solution was required to support both stadiums.

Solution

By constructing its own chilled water plant, the Maryland Stadium Authority was able to supply cooling and chilled water to both the M&T Bank Stadium and Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Since the stadiums are in close proximity to each other, this offered a cost-effective and practical cooling solution. Vicinity is currently serving as operator of the onsite cooling plant under an operations and maintenance (O&M) agreement, in addition to supplying both stadiums with steam under a separate long-term supply agreement. Vicinity’s central chilled water system also supplies chilled water and cooling to the historic 45,000 square foot gateway station and museum located at the opening gates of Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

Results

Through the use of Vicinity Energy’s ‘green steam,’ central chilled water system and skilled operations experts, Baltimore’s premier football and baseball stadiums are benefitting from reliable heating and cooling for its various amenity spaces, including locker rooms, restaurant/café, suites, press areas, special event space and offices. Because Vicinity’s district energy network incorporates renewable ‘green steam’ originating from a waste-to-energy plant, the stadiums are not only benefitting from reliable heating, but also achieving a lower carbon footprint. Since 2013, the stadiums have reduced emissions by an average of 6.2 million lbs. per year – the equivalent of removing approximately 661 vehicles from the road.