Ensuring the best experience at winter sports facilities

HUMIDITY SPOILS THE EXPERIENCE 

Poor humidity management can result in negative experiences and dissatisfaction among the users of winter sports facilities, by causing issues such as: 

• Melted ice that creates uneven surfaces 
• Dripping water from the ceiling 
• Fog and mist due to differences in the inside and outside temperatures
• Corrosion on surfaces 
• Foggy rink-side security glass 
• Mould in changing rooms and other warm rooms in the facility

These issues further impact the comfort of spectators, visibility in the arena, and the performance of the athletes. They can also create risks both the athletes and spectators. Moreover, the maintenance and service costs of the arena are likely to increase as a consequence of poor humidity management.

SOLVING THE PROBLEM AT ITS SOURCE

The key to preventing these problems and ensuring a good experience for everybody, is to manage condensation in the arena. This process involves controlling the dew point of the air inside the stadium - the temperature at which the moisture in the air will change its state from gas into liquid. Dry-air solutions keep this temperature below (approx.) 5°C and ensure a consistent relative humidity of less than 65% which prevents condensation forming.  

CASE STORY: CEZ WINTER STADIUM IN KLADNO 

Image above: CEZ winter stadium in Kladno

CEZ winter stadium in Kladno is one of the oldest stadiums of its kind in the Czech Republic, home to many world champions and Olympic winners in ice hockey. As well as hockey players and professional figure skaters, the ice rink is used by the general public for recreational skating. The winter stadium must, therefore, provide suitable conditions for these activities as well as spectators. To help reach this goal, SEN - Vysouseci Technika s.r.o. installed Cotes dehumidifiers into the facility to regulate the air conditions and ensure maximum benefits for everyone involved. 

By installing Cotes dry-air solutions into the facility, the winter stadium enabled its spectators to: 

• Enjoy hockey games and performances with no visibility issues caused by mist or foggy glasses
• Avoid discomfort caused by dripping water from the ceiling
• Feel comfortable and safe in a corrosion-free environment 

It also created benefits for the hockey players and figure skaters in terms of: 

• Enhancing performance by eliminating visibility-related issues
• Safe ice-skating conditions on firm and even surfaces
• Clean, mould-free changing rooms

Consequently, eliminating condensation-related issues has led to cost reduction which benefits the whole organisation.

HOW COTES DRY-AIR SOLUTIONS STAND OUT 

• Cotes' approach deals with the root causes of problems, not just tackling symptoms 
• Significant savings in energy consumption through effective use of waste heat and hot gas defrost system 
• Minimising maintenance and service costs 
• Advanced Cotes technology enables the dehumidifiers to adjust to the external weather conditions and varying user densities inside arenas
• Appealing and compact industrial design which can be set up in plain sight if required 
• Designed for minimal vibration and low noise 
• Reliable solutions providing exceptional return on investment 

THE BEST DEHUMIDIFIER FOR THE JOB 

COTES FLEXIBLE 

Our partner, SEN - Vysouseci Technika s.r.o., who worked on this project, chose the CRT12000E dehumidifier from the Cotes Flexible series for the winter stadium in Kladno. This model is specifically designed for places where precision, performance and stability are key, which is why it was the best solution for the winter arena in Kladno. The dehumidifier was designed to fit the specific configurations of the project as well as its precise airflow requirements. It provides a customised solution for large-scale humidity management, where exceptional volumes of process air are required. 

 Image above: Installation of a Cotes adsorption dehumidifier CRT12000E

HOW TO CHOOSE A DRY-AIR SOLUTION FOR AN INDOOR SPORTS FACILITY 

The choice of Cotes adsorption dehumidifiers best suited for your particular sports facility depends on the size of the different spaces, their layout and how much excess moisture there is. These requirements can change significantly over the course of the year which can make it difficult to determine the best dry-air solution. However, no two facilities are the same and a customised solutions may be required. Cotes' experts and partners can help you decide which dehumidifier is best suited for your specific needs by: 

• Identifying the exact sources of a wide range of problems 
• Quantifying the related costs to support your cost/benefit analysis 
• Determining appropriate priorities and technologies for tackling your specific requirements 
• Choosing the best dehumidifier to fit with all previous analyses, priorities and technology

Do you have issues with humidity? 

Tell us about your problems with humidity in your production, or business, and we will connect you with one of our experts who will recommend the right dry-air solution for you.