Marc-Andre Fleury of the Golden Knights stops a shot from Dustin Brown of the Kings on LA’s home ice during the Western Conference First Round of the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
This past season, the ice at Staples Center came right out of the arena’s air. Or at least the water for that ice did. The Kings spent the year piloting climate control tech made by a company called BluEco Technology Group that cleans and dries air, producing water as a byproduct. That water was then used to build the rink, instead of turning to municipal water supplies.
On Thursday, BluEco, the Kings, and the hockey franchise’s owners, AEG, announced that partnership. According to the companies, the ice produced from BluEco’s water has fewer impurities than tap water, and thus produces a harder playing surface.
“Through our partnership with BluEco, we have introduced an innovative technology that addresses the two most critical issues facing hockey franchises and venue owners: the quantity of water needed to create ice sheets and the quality of the ice that forms,” said AEG President and CEO Dan Beckerman in a statement.
A large amount of water is needed to build and maintain the sheet of ice games are played on. Using BluEco’s LCT system saved hundreds of thousands of gallons of water over 2017-18, which is particularly relevant in drought-stricken California.
“Innovative technologies like BluEco allow our Clubs to ‘test and learn’ around creative solutions that will not only result in greater efficiencies, but can represent sustainable access to our sport,” said Kim Davis, executive vice president of social impact, growth and legislative affairs at the NHL.
SportTechie Takeaway
When climate control systems cool air, water will condense out. That is why air conditioners often seem to drip. The water is theoretically clean, or as clean as rainwater might be, but usually is wasted. BluEco’s idea to substitute that waste water for municipal water is a simple but smart way to reduce a hockey rink’s environmental impact.
