Thinkng Forward
Zero Net Energy Sports Arena?
Most sports team owners have two large investments: the team itself and the arena, or stadium, in which their teams play.
Many times you need to replace existing equipment and are going to spend the money on an equal replacement. Take that opportunity to look at different technologies – instead of replacing that 1000 ton chiller with a new one, maybe it is too large most of the time and you can replace with one that runs better at lower loads and can save you energy costs as well as maintenance.
The facility itself is usually a large facility which covers a lot of land and uses a lot of resources, i.e. energy, water, and natural gas.
Facilities cost money to build, but over the life of the facility, the real expense is in the operation and maintenance.
The operating and maintenance costs can be more than double the original investment over a 40 year facility life. Therefore, reducing the cost of maintenance and resources has a large, reoccuring impact on the facility owner’s budget.
If you are not familiar with the term, a Zero Net Energy Building refers to a building that produces more energy than it consumes over the course of a year.
At this point there are less than 100 actual buildings in the country that qualify, but many more are being designed and built every year.
How would you like to be the team owner who announces the first Zero Net Energy Arena in your league?
The more a building is used, the more energy it uses, and the more difficult it is (i.e. costs more) to make it a Zero Net Energy Building .
But a building that is empty 65% or more of the time (as most sports facilities are), the easier (i.e. less costly) it is to turn it into a Zero Net Energy building
At this point there are less than 100 actual buildings in the country that qualify a Zero Net Energy Buildings, but many more are being designed and built every year.
Other than Zero Net Energy, what can an owner do to lower his maintenance cost, lower his operating cost, reduce resources, and use that to tell a story to the fans who support the team?
There are many options to consider.......