How to reduce ice-rink energy use without sacrificing ice quality
Energy efficiency in an ice rink is not one product or one setting. It is the result of correct refrigeration sizing, building conditions, balanced hydraulics, realistic ice-temperature targets, disciplined resurfacing, operating schedules, controls and useful heat recovery.
Start by understanding where the load comes from
ASHRAE indoor-rink examples show that refrigeration load can be dominated by several different sources at the same time: ceiling/radiant heat roughly 33–36%, resurfacing roughly 14–21%, air convection roughly 14–19%, pump work roughly 8–11%, humidity/condensation roughly 2–14%, lighting roughly 6–7% and ground heat roughly 2–3%.
The exact shares vary, but the message is clear: buying a more efficient chiller does not automatically solve most of the loads acting on the ice.
1. Do not oversize or undersize the refrigeration plant
A plant selected only from square metres may be too large for normal operation or too small for peak conditions. Correct sizing starts with the actual heat load and then checks the result against ASHRAE indicative ranges.
For sports arenas, ASHRAE gives approximately 2.9–4.2 m²/kW for seasons up to seven months and 2.6–3.7 m²/kW for eight-month to year-round operation as a verification range, not a design formula.
2. Run the warmest ice that still meets the programme
Hockey needs colder ice than figure skating or public skating. Running all sessions at one very cold setpoint wastes energy.
ASHRAE gives representative indoor ranges of about −6.7 to −5.6°C for hockey, −4.4 to −3.3°C for figure skating and −3.3 to −2.2°C for recreational skating.
3. One degree can matter a lot
IIHF gives a year-round arena example where raising ice temperature by 1°C, where acceptable for the required ice quality, reduces annual electricity use by approximately 40–60 MWh and heating energy by approximately 70–90 MWh.
This is an illustrative benchmark, not a guaranteed saving for every arena, but it shows why unnecessary overcooling is expensive.
4. Keep ice thickness under control
IIHF recommends approximately 25–35 mm of ice and weekly thickness checks. Excessively thick ice adds thermal resistance, so the refrigeration plant must operate colder to maintain the same skating surface.
If resurfacing adds more water than the machine shaves away, energy use can slowly rise without any obvious equipment fault.
5. Reduce radiant heat from the ceiling
ASHRAE notes that radiant sources can represent around one third or more of the total load on an indoor ice sheet. A low-emissivity ceiling, lower roof-surface temperature and efficient lighting can therefore reduce refrigeration demand materially.
This is why arena energy performance is partly a building-envelope problem.
6. Control humidity instead of fighting it with more refrigeration
Moist air that condenses on the ice adds latent load and can create fog, dripping and corrosion. Good dehumidification, door discipline and coordinated ventilation can reduce both comfort problems and refrigeration demand.
7. Do not waste pump energy
ASHRAE notes that coolant-pump heat can contribute up to approximately 11% of refrigeration load. Pump electricity ends up as heat in the secondary fluid and must then be removed again by the refrigeration plant.
Low pressure loss, correct pipe sizing, efficient pumps and variable/staged flow control can therefore save twice: directly at the pump and indirectly at the refrigeration plant.
8. Resurfacing is an energy process
For a 30 × 60 m rink, ASHRAE and IIHF guidance indicates approximately 0.4–0.8 m³ of water per resurfacing operation. That water has to be cooled and frozen.
Use the amount and temperature of water needed to restore the surface, not more. Water treatment and good operator technique can also allow lower thermal load while maintaining ice quality.
9. Use low-mineral resurfacing water where appropriate
ASHRAE recommends low-mineral or demineralised water as one route to efficient, high-quality ice. Better water can reduce dissolved solids and gas, improve freezing behaviour and reduce the need for excessively hot resurfacing water.
10. Use demand-based controls
Ice load changes during the day. Outdoor rinks may see cold nights and sunny afternoons; indoor arenas change with spectators, doors, lighting and resurfacing.
AST EasyCHILL can support demand-based operation, remote monitoring and alarms on suitable systems. AST currently communicates savings of up to 60% in chiller operating time / energy consumption in suitable applications. This is a manufacturer maximum, not a guaranteed project result.
11. Schedule closed periods intelligently
A rink does not always need the same setpoint overnight or between events. The system can often relax within a safe range and recover before the next session.
The correct strategy depends on thermal inertia, schedule and required opening condition; aggressive shutdown and restart can be less efficient than controlled setback.
12. Recover refrigeration heat
An ice plant is also a heat source. Heat rejected at the condenser can be reused for domestic hot water, showers, ventilation heating, resurfacing water, snow melting or underfloor frost protection where temperature levels and demand match.
ASHRAE notes that suitable heat-recovery systems can provide roughly 75–100% of facility space- and water-heating requirements in some designs.
13. Optimise heat recovery as part of the whole plant
Heat recovery is not automatically free. Raising condensing temperature only to obtain hotter water can reduce refrigeration efficiency. The correct design balances refrigeration COP with useful heat demand and storage.
14. Measure trends, not isolated numbers
Useful KPIs include compressor runtime, kWh per operating hour, ice temperature, supply/return temperatures, pump status, ice thickness, resurfacing water and humidity.
The most valuable signal is often a change from the arena’s own baseline.
15. Compare whole-arena energy, not one machine
IIHF groups refrigeration, heating, dehumidification, ventilation and lighting as the five major arena energy systems and notes that together they typically account for more than 90% of arena energy use.
A modern arena therefore has to optimise the interaction between these systems rather than chase one isolated compressor efficiency number.
IIHF benchmark: what integrated design can achieve
The IIHF Ice Arena Guide includes an illustrative comparison where a conventional arena is around 1,000 MWh/year of purchased energy and a much more efficient integrated concept is around 460 MWh/year. This is not a guarantee for every project, but it shows the scale of improvement possible when systems are coordinated.
Priority order for an existing rink
- measure current energy and operating conditions;
- check ice thickness and setpoints;
- review resurfacing water and frequency;
- inspect hydraulic balance and pump operation;
- review humidity and ventilation;
- optimise schedules and controls;
- evaluate heat recovery;
- only then decide whether major plant replacement is justified.
Priority order for a new rink
- define operating model;
- optimise building area and envelope;
- calculate refrigeration load;
- design low-loss hydraulics;
- select appropriate ice temperatures;
- integrate dehumidification and ventilation;
- design heat recovery from the start;
- install controls and energy metering;
- train operators to maintain the design intent.
SPORTWAVE evaluates energy efficiency as a whole-rink lifecycle problem: engineering, refrigeration, controls, operation and service all have to support the same target.