Highly efficient heat recovery from a CO₂ refrigeration machine generates heat and hot water for an ice rink, a full-sized sports hall, and a soccer field for winter use. A solution based on holistic thinking from design to completed facility.

The high operating and service costs led Hallsberg Municipality to decide to replace the refrigeration system in Sydnärkehallen. They chose to specify a modern CO₂ refrigeration machine that is now installed and operational by Labkyl and Installation.se.

Labkyl has converted about twenty ice rinks using the DLE concept or other climate-neutral CO₂ technology, the most in the country. Currently, two more ice rink projects are underway in Sweden under the leadership of Labkyl and Installation.se.

The project in Sydnärkehallen was carried out as a turnkey project in the truest sense of the word, including refrigeration and heating installation, plumbing, electrical work, ventilation, and control systems. In addition, builders, floor layers, blacksmiths, and painters were also included in the project. Floor drains were formed, spiral staircases were installed, and other improvement measures were implemented.

The concept is an energy-efficient CO₂ refrigeration machine for ice production, with excellent conditions for recovering large amounts of thermal energy that can be used for hot water, laying water for ice, and heating the ice rink. But it doesn't stop there. The recovered energy also heats a full-sized sports hall, offices, classrooms, locker rooms, a café, entrances, and a ground-heated soccer field for year-round use.

The original system also provided recovery but at a significantly lower temperature and with fewer consumers connected. Electricity had to be purchased to deliver full-value heat to the different systems. The energy savings made by Hallsberg Municipality are significant and estimated to be around 25 - 30%. This corresponds to a savings of 250,000 kWh per year. Monitoring and fine-tuning for the entire system are ongoing via the new control system installed by Deltastyr AB. High competence and good products are prerequisites for the excellent results Sydnärkehallen can demonstrate.

The cooling loops to the ski slope were converted from salt solution to ammonia water, which is a much more easily pumped medium, allowing for the installation of smaller, more cost-effective pumps.

Adjacent to Sydnärkehallen is a full-sized sports hall that also obtains "free" heat and hot water from the CO2 refrigeration machine.

A well-thought-out solution is that the low-grade heat from the CO2 refrigeration machine is used for the nearby soccer field.

The area where the hall is located is waterlogged, and to prevent flooding, groundwater must be pumped. After being heated, it works excellently for heating coils under the soccer field. A more economical heating solution for year-round use of a soccer field is challenging to find!