Springfield Cardinals go solar

The Springfield Cardinals have added a solar energy system to Hammons Field.

The panels, installed through a partnership with Springfield-based Solera Energy LLC, are located on the section of roof topping the 14 luxury suites on the stadium’s first-base side.

The project is funded by the Springfield Cardinals and is part of a multiyear contract with Solera, according to Cardinals General Manager Dan Reiter, who declined to disclose cost or terms of the agreement.

A website post this week by the Cardinals said the 99-kilowatt system is expected to generate energy savings of $280,000 over the next 20 years.

Will Cox, CEO of Solera, touted the collaboration in the post, saying, “Together, we’re setting a national example of energy independence and sustainability in sports.”

Reiter said the installation is being completed with final checks this week.

“It’s been a dream of ours for a while – something a lot of other minor league teams danced around, but the timing for us finally worked out,” Reiter said in an interview with Springfield Business Journal. “We’ve had it on our wish/dream list for a while.”

The installation is happening in addition to $4 million in stadium improvements being completed this season.

Those improvements were a requirement of a March 2023 purchase agreement for the ballpark between the city of Springfield and the John Q. Hammons Charitable Trust and approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Kansas. The Missouri General Assembly approved a $4 million allocation to the city to conduct ballpark renovations at Hammons Field.

Reiter said the cost savings from the solar installation is significant, and the ecological benefit was also a selling point.

“The project checked a lot of boxes,” he said. “I think we do want to be a leader in our community. Our hope is for this to be visible for us as a company that’s trying to be more sustainable and as a company that wants to try new things.”

Reiter said a few Major League Baseball teams have made solar investments. Some examples are Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres, with a 336-kilowatt system, the largest in baseball, according to MLB.com. That system generates over 1 million kWh of energy each year.

Among other MLB parks with solar facilities are Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks; Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox; and Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs.

All MLB clubs are members of the Green Sports Alliance, which promotes sustainability in sports, according to the league website.

In Minor League Baseball, solar energy is less common.

“We want to be among the industry leaders,” he said.

He added that the Cardinals’ ownership group, Diamond Baseball Holdings LLC, was very interested in the Springfield setup.

“Before it was even completed, they wanted to know more about it,” he said.

Reiter said the agreement with Solera reflects the importance of long-term relationships with business and noted that he has known Solera Chief Operating Officer Ryan MacDonald since Reiter came to Springfield for its inaugural season in 2005. At the time, Reiter was 12 years away from taking the GM’s role, and MacDonald was part of the ownership group of the former Trolley’s Downtown Bar and Grille.

“This is something I’ve felt for a long time: Networking is about transactions, but relationships are what matters, regardless of what company you’re with,” he said.

Reiter said MacDonald introduced him to Solera CEO Cox, and things got rolling much more quickly than any of them expected.

“Both parties were excited about what this could mean,” he said.

In a social media post about the installation, some fans expressed concern over damage from foul balls in an area of the park that is prone to them.

Reiter said foul balls were a key component in selecting the installation’s location.

“Foul balls hit to that area have a lower exit velocity than a home run to the outfield,” he said.

He added that solar panels are hail tested.

“From the research done by Solera, the foul balls will pose minimal to no threat to the panels,” he said.