Stanford Athletics & Sustainability

Sustainability has become a core value in all aspects of university operations, and Stanford Athletics is no exception. The Department of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation (DAPER) is committed to reducing its environmental footprint and raising awareness among the millions of students, athletes, visitors, and participants of its programs throughout each year. This commitment has been solidified through its membership in the Green Sports Alliance, which DAPER joined in 2012.

DAPER operates 70 buildings on the Stanford campus, totaling almost 800,000 square feet. In each of these facilities, there have been significant strides made toward more efficient operations, including in the areas of energy and water conservation, and waste minimization. View some of the milestone achievements below.

General

2016 • Student representatives from Students for a Sustainable Stanford, Stanford Students Environmental Consulting (SSEC), and Cardinal Council worked to reduce the carbon footprint of athletic-related travel through carbon offsets and were able to secure funding to offset all of the 2015 varsity team air travel emissions to avoid a total of 2640 metric tons less CO2 going into the atmosphere. Show your support for this initiative.

2014 • Stanford joins the Pac-12 Green Sports Group.
2013 • Green Sports Alliance tours Stanford Stadium; SaveOnEnergy.com ranks the university 2nd in stadium sustainability among the top-25 ranked football programs that year
2012 • Stanford becomes a member of the Green Sports Alliance

Energy Conservation

2015-16
• Avery Aquatic Center is scheduled to retrofit facility lighting with LED lamps
2014-15
• DAPER completes energy efficiency projects on six buildings and reduces annual energy costs by $400,000
• 5 solar powered lights replace diesel light towers in Stanford Stadium tailgating areas
• All locker rooms in Maples Pavilion are retrofitted with high efficiency LED bulbs
2013 and earlier
• Air handling upgrades at Arrillaga Center for Sports and Recreation reduce energy costs by $13,000 each year
• Variable speed drives are added to Arrillaga Center for Sports and Recreation cut energy use by over 24,000 kWh annually
• Upgraded attic fans in Ford Center for Sports and Recreation save over 33,000 kWh annually

Waste Reduction

2015-16
• Nearly 10 tons of materials are recycled during the first four home football games
• DAPER recycles more than 29 toner cartridges and 86 pieces of electronic equipment in fall term
2014-15
• Stanford Stadium recycled nearly 25 tons of material during the 2014 football season
• Recycling dumpsters are added to Stanford Stadium parking lots
• Green cleaning programs are formalized
2013 and earlier
• Stanford Stadium recycles nearly 22 tons of material during 2011 football season
• Cardboard collected and recycled from vendors inside Stanford Stadium
• Stanford Athletics partners with CalRecycle to promote recycling during football games
• Videos of Stanford student athletes recycling are shown at every home game during the 2010 season
• The first Recycling Night is held in 2008

Water Conservation

2015-16
• Athletics saved 6.7 million gallons of domestic water in January through November 2015
• Athletics saved 15 million gallons of lake water in January through November 2015
• Project underway to install more efficient irrigation at Sunken Diamond
2014-15
• 7,300 sq. ft. of lawn converted to artifical turf to save water
• Four high efficiency water fountains are added to Arrillaga Family Sports Center, reducing the need for 50,000 water bottles in just one year areas
• Golf course reduces water consumption by 29% compared to 2014
• SVGTC golf practice area reduces water consumption by 23% compared to 2013
2013 and earlier
• Installation of ultra-low-flow shower heads begins in Athletics facilities in 2010
• Installation of high efficiency hydration stations begins in 2009

How can you be more green?

Stanford Athletics encourages you to join the team and commit to reducing your environmental impact. There are easy ways to make an impact at home or on campus:

• Bring a reusable water bottle and use the water refilling stations
• Don't forget you're using precious water; try to keep showers to 5 minutes or less
• Donate used athletics gear (especially shoes!) at the Stanford Recycling center at the corner of Serra Street and Campus Drive
• Carpool or use alternative methods of transportation to get to the game
• Recycle any plastic, metal and glass waste and look for compost bins to dispose of food waste
• Bring clear trash bags to tailgates to help separate your waste (clear bags help people see what's inside!)
• Pledge your support and participate in Cardinal Green campaigns

Learn More

Another simple way to reduce energy is signing up for your free SunPower solar evaluation (below).

SunPower is proud to be the chosen solar provider for Stanford University. SunPower is building the all-new Stanford Solar Generating Station which will be comprised of 150,000 high efficiency SunPower® solar panels and is expected to provide half of all campus electricity, and also teamed up with the Stanford Athletics to help Cardinal fans go solar too.

As a Stanford Athletics supporter, you may be eligible to receive an exclusive $500 mail-in rebate with the purchase or lease of a SunPower solar system for your home.

See what you might save when you switch to solar!

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