Utility Scale

Las Vegas Sphere could soon get most of its power from solar and battery storage

Las Vegas Sphere could soon get most of its power from solar and battery storage
(Photo by Tomás Del Coro on Flickr)

Sphere Entertainment Co. announced it has submitted a 25-year agreement with NV Energy, the primary electric utility in Nevada, to provide solar power for the Sphere at The Venetian, a large spherical music and entertainment venue in Las Vegas.

If approved by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, the agreement would provide the highest amount of dedicated solar power available to Sphere. As part of the agreement, Sphere would maximize the amount of available green power serving the venue by using a dedicated renewable and battery storage resource being developed by NV Energy. For any portion of electricity that is not derived from renewable sources, Sphere says it will voluntarily acquire certified renewable energy credits to fully mitigate the impact of emissions from the creation of electricity for the venue.

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Sphere Entertainment estimates that, based on its forecasted usage, approximately 70% of its power will be derived from dedicated solar and battery resources. The new NV Energy solar and battery facility, if approved by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, will serve Sphere as well as other NV Energy customers. In advance of the solar and battery storage facility, Sphere says it will voluntarily acquire renewable energy credits to mitigate the impact of all non-renewable sources of power.

“Just as Sphere is setting a new standard for immersive live entertainment, the venue is also setting an industry standard when it comes to renewable energy,” Rich Claffey, Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer of Sphere, said. “From the outset, we designed Sphere to minimize environmental impact and to help create a sustainable operation well into the future. We’re proud to enter into this agreement with NV Energy and partner with them to achieve both of those important goals.”

The venue’s exterior and interior LED screens utilize energy-efficient lighting, the company said, and the venue’s distributed heating and cooling system was built to avoid reheating. Additionally, Sphere’s data centers have been designed to conform to energy-efficient hot-aisle containment strategies and in-row cooling.