Intuit Dome to Open with Innovative Sustainability Features

When the Los Angeles Clippers tip off their inaugural season at the brand-new Intuit Dome this fall, they’ll be doing so in a carbon neutral arena.

The 18,000-seat arena, located in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood, California, has been designed and built from the ground up with sustainability in mind — and it’s packed with cutting-edge features that set a new standard for sports venues everywhere.

The arena is powered entirely by electricity, with on-site solar panels and massive battery banks storing up enough juice to keep the lights on even when the sun isn’t shining. And when it comes to keeping fans cool on those hot Southern California days, the venue relies on a state-of-the-art HVAC system that utilizes heat pumps, high-efficiency chillers, and a novel under-seat air supply system to minimize waste and maximize comfort.

“The owner and design teams collectively also wanted to push the boundaries of how to sustainably build and operate an arena,” explained Eric Taylor, a senior mechanical engineer at Henderson Engineers, the firm that handled the arena’s mechanical design. He noted the teams were intentional in making Intuit Dome “a net positive for the environment and a shining example for other sports venues in the future.”

Water conservation was another key consideration for the design team. California has struggled with drought in recent years, so the arena’s cooling systems are set up to use 100% reclaimed water – and a specialized treatment system allows that water to be recycled up to 20 times.

“Your typical cooling tower might cycle water a couple of times before it needs to be replaced,” Taylor noted. “But this system lets us get much more mileage out of every gallon.”

Intuit Dome’s green credentials is on track to earn a LEED Platinum certification, the highest sustainability rating bestowed by the U.S. Green Building Council. With five basketball courts, a sprawling outdoor plaza, and the world’s largest video scoreboard, Clippers fans are in for a treat when the arena opens its doors for a grand opening August 15.