Ramsey County, Minnesota, is aiming for a 20% reduction in energy costs through a partnership with Honeywell to automate operations at 10 county-managed ice rinks, the company announced Monday.
Facility operators face a range of challenges with ice rinks, the International Ice Hockey Federation says in a sustainable ice rink guide it released in 2022. Among them: keeping the ice sheet cold while maintaining heat and air quality levels for visitor comfort, controlling humidity levels to avoid damage to structures and illuminating the rinks sufficiently for comfort and safety.
“A well-functioning ice arena must be able to handle the complex heat loads and moisture loads that come along with the abovementioned type of environment,” IIHF said.
To better manage Ramsey County’s version of these challenges, Honeywell will add automated building management systems to optimize heating, cooling and ice conditions based on usage, according to the company’s announcement.
“Ramsey County’s ice rinks and parks facilities are vital to our community, and these building automation upgrades will help ensure they will remain welcoming and reliable spaces,” Mark McCabe, director of Ramsey County Parks and Recreation, said in a statement.
The project will add solar panels to two of the county’s largest ice rinks and four other rinks will receive refrigerant detection upgrades to help improve chiller efficiency and safety, Honeywell said. A carbon and energy management tool enabling real-time utility tracking is intended to help identify cost-savings opportunities and to enable remote monitoring of equipment performance, the company said.
“In tandem, enhanced HVAC controls — which support scheduling and CO2 monitoring — will help boost efficiency, improve refrigerant leak detection and reduce operating costs,” Honeywell said.
Plans include replacing gas-fired heating with updated systems to help streamline maintenance and reduce natural gas use, adding LED lighting to improve visibility and cut costs and sealing building envelopes to reduce energy loss, improve comfort and lower dehumidification costs, the company said.
The reduction in natural gas and other energy improvements will support the county’s climate action plan, released in 2024, which aims to achieve 100% carbon-free energy sources in county-owned facilities, Honeywell said.
“By collaborating together with Ramsey County on this project, we are not just helping to drive a positive outcome for the county but are also helping to create a better experience for the skaters, families and staff across the entire community,” said Sudhakar Janakiraman, president of building solutions at Honeywell. “With cutting edge systems, Ramsey County will now have the tools to help reduce both costs and energy usage to further accelerate its climate action goals.”
