Inside Gillette Stadium’s Energy Strategy

This Temple University case study is based on a project developed in Enel X North America.

 

Gillette Stadium

Gillette Stadium is a 176,515 m2, 65,878 seat stadium for sports and entertainment events built in 2002 near Boston. It is decorated with New England heritage and local culture. A stylized lighthouse and bridge greet guests entering the stadium at the Enel Plaza, creating a distinctive site.

Gillette Stadium has a mission of being sustainable. They wanted to do that in a way that is fair, just, equitable, and inclusive for all people. Their ultimate goal is to eventually be off the grid ₍₁₎.

 

_{(1) Off the grid refers to businesses that are independent of public utilities and self-sufficient. In other words, achieving independence by generating and using their own necessary resources.}

Enel X had introduced Demand Response program and it allows Gillette stadium to earn payments by reducing energy consumption when needed by the grid. Utility bill management was also introduced to manage energy efficiently.

Gillette Stadium’s facilities staff worked closely with Enel X to create an optimal strategy to maximize earnings from Demand Response.

The stadium’s energy reduction plan involves:

• Turn off cooling units in select areas of the stadium
  
• Shutt down non-essential lighting
• Reduce the usage of water chillers

Gillette Stadium also partners with Enel X to consolidate and manage monthly bills for more than 80 utility accounts spanning the stadium and Patriot Place, the shopping center surrounding the stadium.

 

Enel X’s utility bill management solution:

1. Automates the collection and processing of utility bill data, eliminating the need for manual data entryく
2. Provides visibility into both site- and portfolio-level energy cost drivers, with granularity into line items and in-depth reporting
3. Automatically collects, formats, and uploads data to the US Environmental Protection Agency’s program, which rates commercial buildings based on energy efficiency

• Earnings from participating in multiple Demand Response programs is more than $100K since 2017.
• Since 2019, Gillette stadium had been able to produce enough electricity for a base load at the stadium.
• Gillette Stadium’s energy reduction plan helps to reduce capacity charges on the electricity bill, which are calculated based on the stadium’s peak electricity usage at the time when demand on the electric grid is its highest over the course of the year. This approach has significantly reduced the stadium’s electricity costs, while also making peak demand levels easier.
• The facility reduces costs by streamlining utility bill processes.

Note: In Japan, Enel X supports global and local customers to help them to save on energy costs, earn a new revenue stream and achieve carbon neutral targets with customized products and services. Contact us to learn more.