ShareGL2012 highlights: Performance analysis of ice rinks to cut down energy use
A comparison between two Swedish ice rinks shows a roughly 33% difference in terms of energy consumption
Ice rinks are among the most energy-intensive public facilities. During the 10th IIR Gustav Loretzen Conference on Natural Refrigerants, a Swedish team used a performance analysis method in order to assess the various heat loads implied in keeping ice rinks operational.
The average annual energy used in a Swedish ice rink is 1091 Mwh/year, which is divided as 82% electricity and 18% heat (Rogstam, 2011). Heating uses 26% of the energy, lighting 10%, ventilation 9%, while the refrigeration system has the largest share with 43%, within which 80% is used by the compressors.
Other heat loads (ice resurfacing, heat conduction between various parts of the ice and the concrete, etc.) were assessed thanks to equations and modelling, but the heat load of skaters proves difficult to assess, so a 4% figure estimated by ASHRAE was adopted.
The method was used to compare the energy consumption of two different ice rinks in the Stockholm area and found that the total refrigeration system energy consumption in the first was about two-thirds of the second.
This difference was explained by smarter control systems for pumps and compressors, better ventilation system design and 1-2°C higher ice temperature.
Measurement and Modelling of Ice Rink Heat Loads, Mazyar Karampour and Jörgen Rogstam
This paper can be downloaded wia the IIR’s Fridoc database (free for IIR members within the framework of their quota of free downloads). You just have to login and search for the paper via the Fridoc database.
The average annual energy used in a Swedish ice rink is 1091 Mwh/year, which is divided as 82% electricity and 18% heat (Rogstam, 2011). Heating uses 26% of the energy, lighting 10%, ventilation 9%, while the refrigeration system has the largest share with 43%, within which 80% is used by the compressors.
Other heat loads (ice resurfacing, heat conduction between various parts of the ice and the concrete, etc.) were assessed thanks to equations and modelling, but the heat load of skaters proves difficult to assess, so a 4% figure estimated by ASHRAE was adopted.
The method was used to compare the energy consumption of two different ice rinks in the Stockholm area and found that the total refrigeration system energy consumption in the first was about two-thirds of the second.
This difference was explained by smarter control systems for pumps and compressors, better ventilation system design and 1-2°C higher ice temperature.
Measurement and Modelling of Ice Rink Heat Loads, Mazyar Karampour and Jörgen Rogstam
This paper can be downloaded wia the IIR’s Fridoc database (free for IIR members within the framework of their quota of free downloads). You just have to login and search for the paper via the Fridoc database.