Global Forum for Sports and Environment
Cool Calculated Energy
The Munich Arena never sleeps. On match days, it will play host to up to 66,000 fans, while in between games, visitors will flock to the shops and restaurants in what is Germanys most modern stadium. With so much going on, energy consumption Efor the lighting, stands and food-stalls, executive boxes and public facilities Eis obviously high. This is where Green GoalEcomes into operation, with its motto saving energy wherever it is physically and economically possible through modern technology and good organizationE Munich has very much taken this credo to heart. Lighting is one of the biggest consumers of electricity, so to reduce consumption, Munichs planners implemented a whole host of measures, including using energy-saving lamps throughout and movement sensors in stairways and the playersEarea. The upper part of the stands will be closed for games with lower attendances, while parking areas that are not in use will not be lit. There will also be an individual control system for the executive boxes, of which there are over 100, meaning that technicians will be able to control the air conditioning in each one. Air quality will be monitored via CO2 sensors and purifying equipment will only spring into action when fresh air is required. Modern technology can also be found in the stadiums heating system. The power required to heat rooms and also water comes from a gas-condensing boiler with heat exchangers. The machinery is particularly efficient in terms of heat recovery and makes optimal use of the energy content of natural gas. The Arena will only be heated when necessary and if the executive boxes are not in use, then the ambient temperature there will be reduced to 15C. Likewise for the VIP lounges and restaurants-the heating only comes on when the room temperature goes below 15C. There is also a distributing center to make sure that the various installations use only the right amount of electricity. The machinery is controlled from this center and the levels of usage regularly checked at all sorts of reading points, enabling the technicians to spot any inefficient energy use and take measures to correct it. The results of this energy management program are clear for all to see Eelectricity and heat consumption are being reduced by around 20 percent both on match days and non-match days. The lighting of the air cushioning around the stadium incidentally takes up around two to three per cent of the overall electricity consumption, which is also less than expected LINK : |
When the referee blows his whistle to start the 2006 FIFA World Cup 2006Eon 9 June, the Munich Arena will be abuzz with energy, in more ways than one. The stadiums engineers have been busily working behind the scenes to come up with an intelligent energy management system, which will reduce electricity and heat consumption by about a fifth.