The Great Lakes Loons, the minor league baseball team supporting the Los Angeles Dodgers, has replaced an existing 20-year-old solar system at the Dow Diamond stadium in Midland, Michigan, with brand new panels from JinkoSolar. The Jinko panels use polysilicon from nearby Hemlock Semiconductor (HSC).
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“Solar panels at Dow Diamond isn’t a new concept for us; we’ve always made every effort since ground was broken on the stadium to be as energy efficient as possible,” said Loons President & General Manager Chris Mundhenk. “Sustainability and sports can share the same field and we are fortunate to have partners like HSC and Jinko Solar that share common values in the sustainability arena. Their generosity and expertise in solar made this project become a reality.”
The new system, installed by Blasy Electric and located on the south side of Dow Diamond near the outfield parking lot, replaces an older solar array that was installed at the stadium almost 20 years ago. The upgraded array features 80 of JinkoSolar’s high-efficiency EAGLE Modules, containing U.S. polysilicon from HSC. JinkoSolar’s EAGLE Preserve takeback and recycling program has already recycled the decommissioned solar panels.
“We’re excited to team up with the Loons and Hemlock Semiconductor to power Dow Diamond with next-generation solar,” said Nigel Cockroft, General Manager of JinkoSolar (U.S.). “These panels are built with polysilicon made right here in Michigan, proving that American materials and JinkoSolar’s technology can deliver clean energy and real community impact. And while the original solar panels were not ours, we made sure to recycle them through our EAGLE Preserve program, because sustainability doesn’t stop at installation.”
The new system will generate up to 50,000 kWh for the ballpark annually. SPW estimates the size of the array at around 35 kW.
“We believe that sustainability starts at home, and Dow Diamond is a home base for so many in our community,” said Phil Rausch, Corning Division Vice President of Commercial for Solar and Hemlock Semiconductor Senior Vice President of Commercial. “This solar array harnesses the most affordable energy source of the 21st century, using a foundation made of our hyper-pure polysilicon manufactured right here in the Great Lakes Bay Region. We’re proud to support a project that reflects our shared values and delivers lasting benefits to the region we call home.”
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