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Indoor ice arenas reduce energy use without softening the ice by reducing the heat that reaches the sheet, then maintaining the surface temperature required by the sport. The goal is not to warm hockey ice to save power: it is to let the refrigeration system use warmer coolant and operate with less compressor lift while the ice stays hard.
Why can an arena save energy without warming the ice?
The ice surface is the product; the coolant temperature is part of the cost. For the North American conditions in the 2026 ASHRAE Handbook—Refrigeration, Chapter 44—about 45°F arena air and 1.25 inches of ice—the satisfactory surface-temperature ranges are 20–22°F for hockey, 24–26°F for figure skating, and 26–28°F for recreational skating. Those are not interchangeable targets: hockey and curling call for harder ice, while figure skaters want a softer surface to see their tracings.
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ASHRAE says the secondary coolant is normally held about 6–10°F colder than the ice. In large bowl arenas, radiant heat, lighting and humid air can force the coolant as much as 20°F colder than the surface to maintain the same ice temperature. That larger temperature difference makes the refrigeration plant work harder. Reduce the heat entering the sheet, and operators can often raise the coolant temperature while holding the sport’s surface target. ASHRAE’s operating advice is to keep the secondary refrigerant no colder than necessary and maintain high suction pressure and low discharge pressure.
That distinction resolves a common operating mistake: if the ice softens while a plant is supposedly saving energy, the surface has warmed beyond its target. A better strategy is to control the heat load and the refrigeration system together—not to abandon the required ice temperature.
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Where does the heat load come from?
Heat reaches the sheet through radiation, resurfacing water, air movement, condensation, lighting, ground conduction and other loads. ASHRAE’s indoor-rink figures, drawn from research project RP-1289, show why the building envelope and arena systems matter as much as the refrigeration equipment.
| Load component | Share of daily refrigeration load across ASHRAE’s three indoor-climate examples |
|---|---|
| Radiation | 32.5–36.3% |
| Ice resurfacing | 14.4–20.5% |
| Convection | 13.6–18.8% |
| Condensation | 1.7–13.6% |
| Lighting | 5.6–7.3% |
| Ground conduction | 2.3–3.0% |
Source: ASHRAE Handbook—Refrigeration, 2026, Table 2; underlying study by Sunyé et al. (2007). These rows do not add up to the full load: pumps and other components are outside this breakdown. Condensation varies substantially with climate, so a dry, cold-weather rink and a humid-climate rink should not be assigned the same savings estimate.
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ASHRAE’s broader accounting says radiant sources contribute around 40% of total heat load on the ice when lighting’s radiant heat is included. For a building owner, this means a kilowatt of lighting can have two costs: the electricity to run the fixture and the refrigeration energy needed to remove the heat that reaches the sheet.
Does a low-emissivity ceiling help the ice?
Yes. A low-emissivity ceiling reduces radiant heat transfer from the warm roof and structure toward the cold ice. That cuts refrigeration demand and can also reduce condensation and dripping, while its reflective surface can improve light distribution and reduce the lighting power needed.
ASHRAE gives a useful comparison of ceiling surfaces: exposed roof materials and structural members can have emissivity as high as 0.9; special aluminum paint can lower it to about 0.2–0.5; polished aluminum or foil can reach 0.05. The lower the emissivity, the less radiant heat the ceiling sends toward the sheet. ASHRAE says a low-e surface is cooled relatively little by radiant loss, so it often remains above the rink air’s dew point, substantially reducing or eliminating condensation and drips.
Low-e fabric curtains or tiled ceilings are therefore both an energy measure and an envelope upgrade. They need to resist puck damage and allow air to circulate around the perimeter. More roof insulation is not automatically better: ASHRAE notes that excessive insulation can lower the indoor ceiling temperature and encourage condensation. The aim is a warm, dry, low-emissivity plane facing the ice—not simply the thickest possible roof assembly.
Some efficiency-program guidance says a low-e ceiling can cut the radiated ceiling load by up to 80% in some arenas; that is a program-guide claim, not an ASHRAE guarantee or a universal whole-plant saving. The benefit may be minimal in an unheated arena or one operated six months or less. For a construction or retrofit decision, compare the existing ceiling’s emissivity, heating and operating schedule, drip problems, lighting layout and expected service conditions before treating a ceiling system as a standard solution.
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How does ice thickness make the plant work harder?
Keeping the sheet needlessly thick increases the temperature drop the refrigeration plant must overcome. ASHRAE says 1–1.25 inches of ice is satisfactory for skating and is the most economical thickness to freeze and maintain; periodic planing helps hold that range. Low spots that are built up during maintenance can create a thicker sheet and increase the refrigeration requirement.
ASHRAE’s example makes the effect tangible. With secondary coolant at 15.8°F and a 20.5°F surface, increasing ice thickness from 1 inch to 2 inches raises the surface temperature by 2.7°F. At 3 inches, the surface reaches 24.4°F. To return the surface to its working temperature, the coolant must be colder; the coolant-to-ice temperature difference grows from 4.7°F to 8.6°F. The result is a softer surface at unchanged coolant temperature, or greater refrigeration work to restore the target.
ASHRAE cites the U.S. Department of Energy’s 1980 estimate that each additional inch of ice increases refrigeration cost by 8–15%, depending on system heat load. Treat this as the cited estimate, not a prediction for every facility. The practical construction and operations lesson is to avoid unnecessary buildup and uneven thickness rather than compensate for it indefinitely with colder brine.
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Control moisture by dew point, not by relying on one relative-humidity percentage. Moisture can condense on the ice and add latent heat to the slab; it can also contribute to fog and dripping from cold structural surfaces.
ASHRAE says large sports arenas hold dew point at or below 35°F for one hour before game time; a maximum dew point of 45°F is usually sufficient to eliminate fogging. Those controls address different operating aims. Clearing visible fog does not necessarily eliminate condensation on a high-emissivity ceiling, where radiant heat transfer can cool the structure toward the air’s dew point.
Ventilation should be the minimum needed to meet ASHRAE Standard 62.1, because outdoor air brings moisture that may need heating and dehumidification. Condition makeup air before it enters. ASHRAE notes that enthalpy wheels can improve exhaust-air energy recovery and may allow makeup-air dehumidification systems to be downsized by up to 50%. Separating makeup-air dehumidification from recirculated-air treatment can also help because incoming outdoor air usually has a higher dew point. Compressor dehumidifiers and desiccant dryers are both recognized options; recovered refrigeration heat can help regenerate a desiccant rotor.
Air distribution matters as well. ASHRAE cautions that warm air movement over the ice is undesirable and that air movement across the sheet makes ice and space temperature harder to control. Direct spectator heat toward the stands, not the sheet; infrared heaters along a promenade should be aimed away from the ice. A 2025 Applied Sciences study by Silesian University of Technology researchers modeled different ventilation and dehumidification configurations in a Polish arena. It reported annual AHU energy savings of up to 67% among modeled configurations while considering thermal and humidity conditions. That is a model result for air-handling configurations—not a measured whole-building saving that every rink can expect.
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The same paper discusses other studies reporting substantial reductions from optimized air handling and ventilation, but those secondary figures use different systems and study conditions. They are not interchangeable with the paper’s 67% modeled result. In a design comparison, keep the boundary clear: AHU energy is not the same as total arena energy or refrigeration energy.
Can lighting upgrades lower refrigeration demand too?
Yes. High-efficiency luminaires reduce electrical use, and they can reduce heat that the refrigeration plant must remove. ASHRAE says direct radiant heat from lighting can be as much as 60% of luminaire kilowatts. It also notes that low-e ceilings reflect light, potentially reducing the lighting power required. The two measures reinforce each other: fewer watts are installed, and a smaller radiant share reaches the ice.
LED high-bay luminaires are a relevant category for community and practice rinks, but a warehouse high bay is not automatically a suitable arena lighting design. Competition venues may need a designed sports-lighting layout that accounts for uniformity, glare and spectator or camera conditions. Evaluate the lighting system both for electricity use and for radiant watts directed at the sheet.
Which refrigeration and pump changes are worth considering?
Once heat loads are controlled, plant controls and pumping can reduce wasted work. ASHRAE lists high suction pressure, low discharge pressure, an oversized condenser, an oversized chiller or evaporator, multiple compressors and intelligent controls as equipment-selection considerations. It also notes that a 3–5°F temperature difference between coolant and primary refrigerant has been attained with more evaporator surface, with lower energy use as the result.
Pump heat can be significant: ASHRAE says coolant pumps running continuously can account for up to 11% of refrigeration load. Potential measures include pump cycling, two-speed or variable-speed motors, multiple pumps and high-efficiency pumps. Controls should reduce or stop flow during part load where the system allows it, while preserving the flow needed for chiller operation and a balanced floor. Pump savings should be evaluated as part of the refrigeration system, since pump heat ultimately becomes a load the plant must remove.
Operating strategy depends on the goal. For energy conservation, compressors may run at full load and cycle within a dead band around the ice temperature. For precise ice temperature, they can unload to match capacity to the sheet rather than overshoot. For heat recovery, compressors may run at a higher compression ratio than ice-making alone requires to produce more useful heat. That may reduce purchased heating energy, but it can increase refrigeration-system lift. The best facility outcome is not always the lowest compressor power in isolation.
Will heat recovery warm the rink and soften the ice?
Not if recovered heat is used in the right place. Heat recovery supplies useful heat away from the sheet; it does not require blowing warm air across the ice. The IIHF Guide to Sustainable Ice Arenas says covering heating demand with refrigeration-system heat is often the biggest energy-saving opportunity, potentially eliminating purchased heating energy. ASHRAE says arenas typically reject more heat than their building requires, so recovery should be assessed for most or all heating loads and, where practical, adjacent uses such as a school, pool or gymnasium.
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Potential uses include space heating, in-slab radiant heat, hot water for resurfacing, underslab frost protection, makeup air, domestic hot water, boiler makeup, desiccant regeneration preheat, reheat after mechanical dehumidification and snow melting. The IIHF guide reports that recovered heat for sorption-dehumidifier reactivation can save about 40% of reactivation energy for Gen 1 equipment and about 85% for Gen 2 equipment. Those percentages apply to reactivation energy for those dehumidifier generations—not to total arena energy.
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Underslab heat is for frost protection, not comfort. ASHRAE advises operating it no more than necessary to prevent frost formation; excess heat below the slab becomes another refrigeration load. Similarly, the refrigeration system may need a higher compression ratio to produce hotter, useful recovery heat. A project assessment should weigh purchased heat displaced against that lift penalty and keep delivered heat away from the ice surface.
Why can resurfacing water and snow handling affect energy use?
Resurfacing is a major daily load: ASHRAE’s examples assign it 14.4–20.5% of daily refrigeration demand. The heat in a flood depends on the water volume and the temperature drop as the water cools and freezes. ASHRAE’s typical flood-water volume is 120–180 gallons for a 100-by-200-foot rink.
ASHRAE recommends demineralized or very-low-mineral-content water for ice and resurfacing. It notes that a 1°F higher ice temperature may be feasible with low-mineral water, but that is not permission to let hockey ice drift above its required surface target. A vendor, REALice, describes mechanical de-aeration as a way to reduce the need to heat flood water to drive out air; its reported pilot and installation savings are vendor claims, not ASHRAE guarantees. The underlying design question is whether water quality and resurfacing practice can produce the required ice without adding unnecessary heat.
Snow disposal also affects the building. Opening doors to dump snow outdoors admits heat and moisture. ASHRAE describes indoor snow-melt pits that use refrigeration subcooling or recovered heat; immersed coils can be used because dirty melt water can plug ordinary heat exchangers. This captures waste heat without repeatedly opening the envelope or using a boiler to melt snow.
How should a rink prioritize an energy retrofit?
Start with a coordinated building-and-plant review rather than one isolated purchase. The IIHF calls refrigeration, heating, dehumidification, air handling and lighting the “big five,” which typically account for more than 90% of rink energy. Their interaction matters: heating the room can short-circuit into the ice, while poor humidity control can increase both condensation and refrigeration load.
- Confirm the sport’s surface target and measure the sheet. Identify operating temperatures, ice thickness and low spots. Do not use a warmer recreational-skating target as a hockey energy measure.
- Find the largest heat paths. Review roof emissivity and dripping, lighting heat, air movement, condensation, resurfacing, ground conduction, headers and pumps. Use local operating conditions: condensation’s share varies from 1.7% to 13.6% in ASHRAE’s climate examples.
- Fix envelope and control issues. Assess low-e ceiling options, perimeter airflow, puck resistance, moisture sources and spectator heating direction. Coordinate reflected light with a lighting redesign rather than treating ceilings and luminaires as unrelated projects.
- Review plant operation and part-load behavior. Check suction and discharge pressures, coolant setpoints, pump control, compressor staging and whether the plant is being asked to compensate for excess ice thickness or avoidable heat gain.
- Plan heat recovery around actual loads. Compare useful heating demand and seasonal timing with recovery temperature and compressor lift. Prioritize heat uses that displace purchased energy without warming the sheet.
- Commission the systems together. Confirm that air distribution, dew-point controls, lighting, refrigeration and building schedules do not work against one another. A controls package can schedule heating, cooling and ice conditions to usage, but a savings target is not a guaranteed result.
A 2025 Facilities Dive report described Ramsey County, Minnesota, targeting a 20% reduction in energy costs across 10 county rinks through a package involving building automation, solar at two large rinks, refrigerant detection at four, LED lighting, envelope sealing and replacement of gas-fired heating. The 20% is the project’s aim, not a measured post-retrofit result. It illustrates the value of treating the arena as a set of connected systems instead of expecting a single upgrade to solve every load.
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Which savings claims should operators treat cautiously?
ASHRAE does not provide a universal percentage saving for each 1°F increase in ice temperature. Operator guidance differs: one source suggests up to 2% per degree, while a University of Illinois EnergySense page says 6% annually for a 1°F increase. Those claims should not be presented as a settled handbook result. The reliable principle is directional: a warmer permitted surface can reduce heat transfer into the ice, but the sport’s ice-quality requirement remains the limit.
Likewise, variable-brine guidance has cited savings of up to 8% of compressor energy, but that is operator-guide language rather than a universal ASHRAE figure. Setbacks can be appropriate when the rink is unused; an Efficiency Manitoba guide suggests allowing the surface to rise overnight to a maximum of 28°F (−2°C). That is at the warm end of ASHRAE’s recreational range, not a hockey-game target. Any setback should be planned around the next session and the system’s recovery needs.
For construction decisions, compare like with like: a modeled AHU saving is not a measured whole-rink saving; a percentage of ceiling radiation cut is not the same as a percentage of the refrigeration bill; and heat recovery’s reduction in purchased heat can coexist with higher compressor lift. Climate, operating hours, ice thickness, sport, control quality and the boundaries used to calculate energy all affect the result.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a lower relative-humidity reading always mean a lower ice-arena dew point?
No. Relative humidity depends on air temperature, so the same percentage at two different temperatures can correspond to different dew points. For that reason, use the arena’s dew-point target for condensation control rather than treating a single RH percentage as a universal ice-protection setting.
Are the 2025 ventilation-study savings a guarantee for an existing arena?
No. The up-to-67% figure is an annual modeled AHU-energy result for configurations in a Polish arena study, not a measured retrofit result or a whole-building forecast. Existing ductwork, climate, operating schedules and required indoor conditions can all change what a project achieves.
Can a rink use the same ice dimensions and temperature rules everywhere?
No. The ASHRAE temperature examples reflect North American handbook practice, while international competition rules use different rink dimensions and can have different operating guidance. Confirm the governing sport, event and local requirements before setting a design or operating target.
Does heat recovery make a refrigeration system more efficient in every operating condition?
Not necessarily. Recovery can displace purchased heating, but producing hotter heat may require a higher compression ratio than ice-making alone. The facility-level benefit depends on whether useful heat demand coincides with available recovery and whether its value outweighs the added refrigeration lift.
