IF Sustainability Project ICE RINK ENERGY & WATER SAVINGS IF SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT

The world faces important challenges sourcing & resource management; mobility; across a wide spectrum of economic, workforce; and climate. These focus social and environmental issues, and the areas were selected through an extensive sport community is not immune from their stakeholder engagement process, taking impacts. The Olympic Movement has into consideration today’s key sustainability both an opportunity and a duty to actively challenges and the manner in which the contribute to the global sustainability IOC believes the Olympic Movement debate in line with its vision of “Building can most significantly contribute to a better world through sport”. addressing them. With this in mind, and in response to The case studies are also aligned with recommendation 5 of Olympic Agenda the United Nations’ (UN) framework of 17 2020 (“Include sustainability within Sustainable Development Goals the Olympic Movement’s (SDGs). This framework is pivotal daily operations”), the for the Olympic Movement: IOC conducted the in September 2015, the UN International Federation General Assembly confirmed (IF) Sustainability Project the important role that throughout 2016. The sport can play in supporting IOC carried out the project the UN’s 2030 Agenda for with three objectives: Sustainable Development obtaining an overview of and its SDGs. IFs’ sustainability initiatives; identifying common topics, “Sport is also an important enabler good practices and shared challenges; of sustainable development. We recognise and sharing information among the IFs. the growing contribution of sport to the As part of this project, the IOC realisation of development and peace in its collaborated with the IFs to compile promotion of tolerance and respect and the a series of case studies reflecting how contributions it makes to the empowerment IFs are contributing towards a more of women and of young people, individuals sustainable world. and communities as well as to health, Each case study is aligned with one education and social inclusion objectives.” or more of the IOC’s five sustainability Paragraph 37, UN 2030 Agenda focus areas: infrastructure & natural sites; for Sustainable Development A SKATING FACILITY IN GERMANY HAS INSTALLED NEW TECHNOLOGY TO SAVE ENERGY AND REDUCE WATER CONSUMPTION.

he Eissportzentrum Oberstdorf through an exhaust system. The is the national training centre reconstruction of the ice rink in late 2014 OBJECTIVES T for figure skating in Germany, was completed in approximately three supported financially by the German months. It was approved by the German After the city of and Bavarian state governments and Ice Skating Federation and supported by Oberstdorf in Germany owned by the community of Oberstdorf. the German Ministry of Sport. was faced with high The community and the government energy costs associated with operating and sought to implement two new systems 2. New technologies for ice maintaining local ice to reduce energy costs and conserve resurfacing machines rinks and swimming water. The ice resurfacing machine at the pools, city officials rink has been equipped with a scale researched ways of “THE TECHNOLOGY to measure the amount of water filling reducing utility costs. CAN SAVE 40-50% OF the tank, along with a mechanism that Officials decided THE ENERGY REQUIRED ensures the filling process automatically to invest in a new refrigeration plant FOR THE BUILDING’S stops when the required amount of HEATINGS COSTS.” for the local ice rink, water has been reached – previously, which is used for the machine was always completely skating, curling and ice 1. New refrigeration plant filled regardless of how much water was hockey, in an attempt The ice rink’s new refrigeration system is required for the specific task at hand. to reduce the energy a “warm-cold exchange system”, which The person operating the machine costs at the facility. In supports the building’s heating system. can preselect the required quantity of addition to the new refrigeration plant, the The waste heat generated by refrigeration water, in some cases by using electronic ice resurfacing machines is incorporated into the heating system, control units located around the rink. were equipped with new significantly reducing energy consumption The water supply pipe that provides technology in order to at the facility – as at most ice rinks, this water to the machine is equipped with save water and energy. waste heat had previously vanished a thermostatic valve, which regulates Each project IOC FOCUS AREA UN SDGs contributes to one or more of the IOC’s sustainability focus areas and one or more of the INFRASTRUCTURE UN’s SDGs: & NATURAL SITES the temperature and can be manually unnecessary times; the water temperature adjusted using the electronic control units. is automatically regulated, saving energy; The required temperature varies between the automation allows the driver of the 40° and 60° Celsius, depending on the machine to focus on other matters; and activities taking place in each session. the amount of water used each day has For example, figure skating requires been reduced by 30-40%. “warmer” ice than ice hockey or short track speed skating; resurfacing after a EVALUATION public session requires more water at Having studied the impressive results colder temperatures than resurfacing in Oberstdorf, the International Skating after a sport session; and preparing for a Union (ISU) has begun discussing how figure skating session requires less water to help to promote these methods of than an ice hockey session. Adjusting the energy and water conservation for ice water temperature accordingly can save rinks. Contact has been made with the 40%-50% of the energy required for the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) building’s heating system. to see how the two IFs could partner to The entire system can be placed on a promote the process at other ice rinks time control. Approximately 15 minutes across the globe. before the preset resurfacing time, the heating system will begin to warm the water to the predetermined temperature and will begin filling the tank. The filling process will cease once the required level of water has been reached. The system guarantees that no energy is wasted by heating water at

ISU CONTACT: Peter Krick, ISU Honorary Member & Consultant ([email protected])