Whether it’s touchdowns, goals or record-breaking sprints, energy efficiency — and solar lighting — is the name of the game in newer pro sports stadiums around the world. More frequently, fans are rooting for their favorite squads in venues that won’t leave the environment on the losing side.

Light Emitting Diode (LED) panels, wind turbines and solar-powered lights are becoming the norm; they’re a way for team execs to demonstrate they care about the environment and save money on electric bills at the same time. Here are a few parks that are sure to score eco-points each time teams take their field.

The Blueprint for Stadio Franco Sensi in Rome, Italy has recently been released, so details are still trickling in. What do we know?  For one, it is being called Rome’s solar-powered stadium. The Stadio will features two layers: the outer layer will be a zinc-titanium shell covered in energy-producing photovoltaic panels to be used for lighting. The second, a translucent layer that will allow 80 percent of sunlight to enter without letting rainwater hit spectators. The amount of power the panels will produce is unknown, but it will be enough to at least spark up the LED stadium lights.

Nationals Park in Washington D.C. opened for business in 2008, and has been solar-powering the MLB’s Washington Nationals ever since. The D.C. City council agreed to build the new stadium and set out to attain U.S. Green Building Council LEED rating. At the time it didn’t seem possible. But with 5,500 tons of saved construction waste, an advanced water filtration system and a location within fly ball distance of the city’s transportation system on what used to be a contaminated field, D.C. was able to achieve its ambitious goal while merely increasing construction costs by two percent.

The park is one in a trend of eco-friendly MLB parks sprouting up across the country. The San Francisco Giants, Colorado Rockies and Cleveland Indians have all installed solar panels at their parks. The Seattle Mariners started a composting project at Safeco Field in 2007, the Oakland A’s have used biodegradable corn-based cups at McAfee Coliseum since 2005, and the Minnesota twins are seeking an even higher LEED certification than the Nationals for their ballpark that will open in 2010.

Spin the globe to the Far East and you will Find China’s Dalian Shide Stadium; set to be remodeled into an architectural first for stadiums anywhere in the world. The proposed plan has the stadium emulating a garden, with green walls (both in color and in sustainability) that filter air, reduce greenhouse gases and provide insulation. Wind turbines and solar panels built in to the stadium’s walls and roof will generate the stadium’s power on site.