Boosting Resilience: Constructing Sustainable and Affordable Stadium Infrastructure

The building sector is the third largest emitter of GHGs, accounting for 17.5%, in comparison with the aviation industry at 3% alone. Solutions enable rapid, parametric analysis of building sustainability improvements by enabling tradeoff studies for any commercial building to ensure affordability, resilience, and sustainability. The Mercedes-Benz Stadium (MBS) in Atlanta, GA has been selected as an ideal case study for the creation of such a framework due to its state-of-the-art design increasing demand. The objective of this study is to utilize MBS in refining a comprehensive framework for a wide range of building infrastructure. The framework uses multivariate regression analysis to incorporate Modelica-based building HVAC and EV charging systems into a representative thermal envelope, leveraging a techno-economic energy tool developed by the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory to optimize for Distributed Energy Resources (DERs). Using case-based reasoning, six scenarios were identified: from instances of a typical soccer match to instances of prolonged daily back-to-back concert events which have downtime durations in between. The results indicate that the developed framework is effective in managing energy needs and sustainability goals for large commercial buildings. The insights gained from investigating a large building, such as a stadium, will enable future exploration into extraterrestrial buildings, as well as airport’s single-building structures like hangars.