Some of the arenas have compromised air quality because of high concentration levels of various pollutants. The concentration level within an ice rink facility depends highly on the fuel type of the ice resurface machine, the frequency of resurfacing, and the degree of ventilation.
Why measure CO2 in indoor ice rinks?
The value of carbon dioxide in the air in an arena can vary greatly. Larger audiences means that the value will be higher than when the stadium is empty, therefore there will be a need ventilate.
Without Demand Controlled Ventilation, there is a potential of overventilating, which leads to increased warm air in the arena, which, in turn, leads to the ice melting. To avoid this, the stadium then has to cool down the ice, which is energy consuming.
With many people in these arenas, it is also necessary to ventilate to ensure a healthy indoor environment. Machines in the stadium are polluting the air that people are breathing.
How does it work?
The CO₂ concentration in an arena varies depending on the number of people in it. An empty arena has a concentration about 400 ppm (normal outdoor concentration). The CO₂ concentration in the room will increase for each person added.
Therefore, using a system of Demand Controlled Ventilation is best for efficiency. This means that sensors are measuring the CO₂ value constantly and sending a signal to the ventilation system that changes the level of the ventilation to compensate.
Reduced costs
Thanks to the reduced need of constant ventilation and the reduced need of cooling the ice, a Demand Controlled Ventilation system helps the ice arena building save energy. This saves money and is also beneficial for the environment. It is estimated that there are about 25,000 indoor ice rink arenas in Europe, and the savings could therefore be huge.
Well-controlled ventilation makes the air healthier, which also saves money based on not having to send people to hospitals for cases of CO₂ poisoning or other air quality related illnesses such as asthma. The owner of an arena that starts using this kind of ventilation can expect a return on investment in around 3 months.
Key Benefits:
- Energy savings
- Positive environmental impact
- Healthy indoor air quality