ICE RINK DEHUMIDIFICATION SYSTEMS ENERGY USAGE AND SAVING MEASURES
Ice skating rinks are one of the largest energy consumers in the building sector. The dehumidification function is one of the dominating energy users but is vital for the climate control in the ice rink. High humidity level causes extra diffusion load on the ice which affects the ice surface structure and risk to form condensation in the building structure. This study focuses on mass transfer phenomena in ice rinks. Three elements of the mass transfer mechanism are investigated: the mass transfer on the ice surface; the infiltration rate; and the dehumidifier energy consumption. The energy usage related to dehumidification of an ice rink is concluded to be as high as 15% of the total energy usage, which annually may correspond up to 150 MWh. A moisture balance model including infiltrations, moisture sources, condensation and dehumidification is proposed. A possible saving measure is to replace the electricity used for regeneration with recovered heat from the refrigeration system. Results from a case study show an electrical energy saving potential of 40% using other sources than electricity to heat the regeneration air.