9
Special topics
9.5
Ice rinks
Figure 179 Restaurant next to an ice rink with glass wall partitions in Cityplaza, Island East
9.5.3 Insulation and dehumidification
It is important for ice rinks to maintain a temperature below zero to keep the ice from melting. Therefore, proper insulation
should be provided in its floor, adjacent walls and ceiling to minimise heat gain from the surrounding area. Infiltration
should be minimised to avoid overloading the dehumidification system, which prevents condensation on cold surfaces
close to the ice.
9.5.4 Skylights and windows
Skylights and/or openings near the ice rink can help
improve lighting conditions and reduce artificial lighting
in the ice rink. However, as discussed in
Section 4.3
,
natural daylight might also bring in heat and glare which is
undesirable in terms of energy saving and even dangerous
when the vision of skaters is affected by the glare. Careful
design of windows and skylights at ice rinks become even
more important.
• Energy efficient lighting
• Optimize lighting intensity
• Highly reflective ceiling/low-e ceiling
• Proper insulation of walls and roof
• Adjust the set point temperature during unoccupied
periods
• Use of environment friendly refrigerant
• Waste heat recovery from refrigeration process
• Use of desiccant dehumidification
• Optimise ice thickness
• Ice rink should be covered when the rink is not in use at night
9.5.5 Professional help
It is important to engage professionals for detailed consultation on the implementation of green measures at ice rinks.
The following is a list of references for obtaining professional help:
• Authorised persons (AP) – Appendix A (2)
• Acoustic consultants – Appendix A (8)
• Registered professional engineers (RPE) in the building services discipline – Appendix A (4)
•
– Appendix A (7)
Figure 180 Windows at an ice rink in Cityplaza, Island East
Hong Kong Green Building Council 195
