Publicerad 2015-06-29

100% CO2 ice rink – first season summary

The newly renovated ice rink in Gimo, Sweden, started up in September 2014 with a brand new energy management based on a CO2 refrigeration.  This put the newly renovated and improved ice rink on the map as the first in Europe to use pure CO2 technology.

Introduction

Ice rinks consume large amounts of energy, with the average usage of a Swedish rink weighing in at around 1 000 000 kWh per year. Typically, the refrigeration system, usually with a cooling capacity around 250-350 kW, is the main contributor, using about 40% of the total energy.

The CO2 technology is near ideal in ice rink applications due to the combined cooling and heating needs. Reduced energy usage, mainly due to heat reclaim, will be the dominating saving factor for the ice rink owner together with lower servicing costs.

In order to utilize the heat recovery potential of CO2 fully, the heat reclaim system was designed and adapted to fit the properties of CO2. A further special feature of this CO2 application is the geothermal storage which provides a “warm climate” as well as a “cold climate” solution. Firstly, the sub-cooling improves the energy efficiency in warm climate conditions. Later the very same heat, stored in the geothermal storage, can be utilized as heat source during cold weather conditions to boost the heat reclaim.

First season

The ice rink in Gimo has now run its first season after the reconstruction. The cooling system is unique in Europe since it is based on a solution using exclusively carbon dioxide. Lasse Karlsson, from the municipality of Östhammar, was the one who wagered on the new system and he can now conclude that the high expectations have been met.

How was the first season operating the new Gimo ice rink?

- The season has been extensive with plenty of attention from media. It has been exciting to meet reactions from users and visitors, and not least to see the electricity bill every month.

What can you say about the operating costs?

-Our electric energy consumption is way below what I thought was possible. It is half the cost compared to our second ice rink, which has a traditional ammonia system.

Are there other benefits of the new cooling system?

-The new facility has plenty of technical functions and control systems, so I was a bit concerned that there would be a risk of troubles. It has barely been anything to report and rather worked perfectly throughout the winter. It seems that we have a very good reliability with this system and you quickly get an alarm if something would happen.

Have the users noticed any difference?

We had a running-in period before we found the right ice temperature, but since then, everything is great. The people in charge of the ice maintenance says it freezes faster and it's easier to get good quality ice.

In conclusion...?

We are very proud to have this facility. If I would build a new ice rink facility today, I would only consider tenders on CO2, because the benefits are so great.

Also read: Gimo installerar Sveriges första fullständiga CO2-anläggning.

Vintersportarenor.se / Energi & Kylanalys  I  info@ekanalys.se