This weekend, you’ll likely want to leave work at the office
as you head to your scheduled Super Bowl festivities. But as the football championship plays
out so will a few electrical trends. Can you catch them?
Packed among the dramatic plays, top-notch entertainment and
quirky ads, the big game brings to light the latest opportunities in our
industry, such as:
- Alternative
Energy: Power generated at a North Dakota wind farm
will offset 15,000-megawatt hours of game-time electricity, courtesy of
credits from Green Mountain Energy Company, which is also donating a solar
array for the city’s neighborhood revitalization project. This green power will be associated
with use at Lucas Oil Stadium, the Indiana Convention Center, media center and
surrounding hotels.
- Energy Efficiency:
Last year, GE
estimated more than 11.3 million kWh of power were consumed when 158.5 million
TVs tuned into the big game. Leading up to this year’s game, the NFL took a series of steps to address
environmental impact, including investment in 800 home energy audits. The stadium itself also saves energy through a CPI
daylighting system and fans that circulate the air efficiently.
- EV
Charging Stations: As thousands of fans converge on Indianapolis, they’ll
see a city gearing up for the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, with
charging stations at the airport
and Super
Bowl Village, the epicenter of all things football.
- Integrated
Technology: CNN declares
this year’s game “the most high-tech ever,” and judging by the stats, an
enormous amount of cabling and equipment was needed to make it happen. The
stadium boasts a massive data center, capable of storing 100 terabytes of data; 3,500 HD
screens hanging throughout the stadium; and the world’s largest video board --
600 tons, 72 feet tall, 160 feet wide and 25,000 square-feet of displays.
- LED
Lighting: For those who only tune in for the commercials,
be on the lookout for Audi’s
use of LEDs. The luxury carmaker plans to use them in its prime advertising
slot to promote its 2013 sedan. You may also catch a glimpse of LED technology
as the camera pans out to Super Bowl Village’s spectacular
lighting display.
In 20 years, we can look back on this game and see the
big trends that drove our industry. Will you be prepared?