How Ramsey County is making its ice rinks smarter and greener

High above the skaters at Aldrich Arena in Maplewood right now covered by snow are solar arrays that are part of the improvements Ramsey County Parks and Recreation is making to the county s ice rinks While chosen of these improvements might not be obvious at the county s rinks the results are smarter greener facilities that are also brighter and warmer with optimal ice conditions Here s a look at certain of the improvements as well as future hopes for Aldrich Solar-powered arenas The solar panels for Aldrich Arena and TCO Sports Garden in Vadnais Heights the county s largest arenas are part of Ramsey County s state equity action plan As part of that plan there are goals to reduce our vigor consumption and then green force goals says Mark McCabe director of Ramsey County Parks and Recreation So this is helping fulfill reducing the amount of carbon that we re producing and is converting the potential source from the carbon source to a green ability option Snow covered but still collecting electrons solar panels cover the roof of Aldrich Arena in Maplewood John Autey Pioneer Press A big stat is of the potential that s consumed everything that we do parks golf courses ice arenas is in the arenas so that s our biggest opportunity to reduce potency consumption So this project that we did with Honeywell which is not only the solar arrays but it s also converting to LED lighting adding insulation in buildings changing our mechanical systems like high-efficiency furnaces that collectively throughout our whole system will reduce our consumption of electricity by over percent It adds up to savings a lot of savings Through that plan that s roughly a decrease in utility expenses McCabe says Read on for more about those savings The size of the Aldrich array is roughly kilowatts and the size of the TCO array is just under megawatt according to Ramsey County Aldrich Arena Aldrich Arena a multi-purpose arena located at White Bear Ave was built in To consider how long ago that was John F Kennedy was president West Side Story won the Academy Award for Best Picture and the first Target opened eight miles away in Roseville Things have changed since then We ve got a request in to the state of Minnesota for their legislative cycle of bonding to renovate this facility McCabe says This facility is over years old It s served the neighborhood really well but we re trying to get it to be able to serve the next generation Beyond the potency project for the county s arenas future goals for Aldrich include a new main entrance with increased accessibility Aldrich was built before the Americans with Disabilities Act adding a neighborhood room updating the citizens locker rooms and green rooms as well as more of the restrooms modernizing the concessions area and replacing the refrigeration system The Aldrich project is one of the county s lead priorities within their bonding legislative priorities for the session according to a Ramsey County spokesperson To fund the million project the county is asking for million from the state to be matched with million from the county Beyond skating Ice time is an in-demand commodity in Minnesota and that includes Ramsey County and Aldrich Arena Throughout the system we re reserving at high quota McCabe says But this facility is unique in its seating ceiling Related Articles U of M Men s Gymnastics Club finds a new home in St Paul Baby it s cold outside let s make selected ice Oxendale s Domain in West St Paul to close Burrito Mercado to limit hours With temperatures dropping Minneapolis shelter opens during day this weekend Oakdale Open houses planned for police expansion city hall remodel project While Aldrich has maximum for about people who come to watch high school hockey league and playoff games here that maximum expands to about when the space is transformed for non-ice events including concerts graduations business shows and more And Aldrich is a facility that hosts multiple events especially now With the U of M Mariucci Arena announcing that they were no longer doing graduations we picked up a number of graduations says McCabe It s part of the vision for this space We re really going to turn it into more of a neighborhood event center McCabe says In up-to-date times events include everything from a farmers field in the parking lot to various concerts and lots of quincea eras it s also hosted a Hmong New Year celebration an Eid prayer function figure skating union votes dog shows and more The improvements Aldrich Arena in Maplewood now features individual unisex bathrooms John Autey Pioneer Press Ice arenas can be chilly places but on a fresh December morning Aldrich felt as at ease as any non-icy interior space There s added building insulation McCabe noted I think that with the lighting does make a difference for the user experience Thanks to the improvements according to Ramsey County heating cooling and ice conditions will automatically adjust to match facility use keeping the ice perfect and the buildings peaceful Other improvements include renovated bathrooms and more accessible arena seating for those with wheelchairs or mobility issues There is hopefully more to come Any funding that we can save allows us to reinvest in a facility to bring more amenities that people are asking for renovated bathrooms and community meeting spaces are particular things we re focusing on McCabe says It s not just Aldrich seeing changes Ten arena facilities are all getting improvements as well as a Parks and Recreation administration building that got improvements as well things like LED lighting and high-efficiency furnaces says McCabe Smart buildings The Hill-Murray boy s hockey organization practices at Aldrich Arena John Autey Pioneer Press While this phase of improvements have mostly been completed one is still wrapping up Several facilities got building automation systems says Gus Blumer director of planning and growth for Ramsey County Parks and Recreation That s one item that we re finishing up The smart machinery helps monitor and adjust resource use and thus costs With the improvements heating cooling and ice conditions will automatically adjust such as if it s one of those really hot days in the fall or if the arena is packed with people to keep the ice perfect and the atmosphere calm There are also additional safeguards such as system that detects refrigerant leaks rapidly But all the building envelope improvements have been completed Blumer says We ve been doing the implementation work throughout says McCabe So we should be realizing the benefits Costs and savings With inflation and other economic pressures prices are rising including in the metro Ramsey County is poised to increase its tax levy by for taxes payable in Certainly with tax pressures anything that we can do that reduces things like utility expenditures is something to look at McCabe reported How were the arena improvements funded It s a roughly million project through an inter-county loan McCabe explains So the Parks and Recreation Department borrowed money from the county s general fund And then through the Biden administration there was Inflation Reduction Act funding So basically with the installation of solar arrays we could get up to reimbursement on the cost there that s about million we can get reimbursed And then the vitality savings that we realize each year for the next years goes to pay back that loan After the loan is paid in full the savings continue Solar panels the life of them is years McCabe says So the upside once we pay the loan off in addition to all the vigor savings that reduce our carbon footprint there s also years of saved money an average of a year so you re talking a pretty key million Keeping the character The commons area in the Hill-Murray boy s hockey locker room funded by boosters features framed jerseys from different years John Autey Pioneer Press On Thursday morning before anyone took to the ice for the day Aldrich Arena Superintendent Chris Lueck led a tour through the facility While not everything is refreshed the arena s outdated and cramped citizens locker rooms need updates as one example there are specific renovated restrooms bright and clean and the arena seating now includes more accessible options For the hockey teams the players seating has been expanded for more leg room And by climbing ladder-like stairs to the roof Lueck checked on the solar arrays that were covered in snow but still operating Not everything requirements updating though There are decades of memories here like a vintage-looking cartoon character holding a glass of Coca-Cola that is painted on a wall near a former concessions nook and trophies behind glass that speak to the hockey victories of Hill-Murray a private school that calls this ice home The nostalgia gives the place specific character That s the hope in general to maintain the character of the building while upgrading and modernizing specific of our amenities Lueck says Related Articles St Paul man gets years in prison for rapes years apart St Paul man killed Maplewood woman shot self then live-streamed an apology charges say Rafael Ortega won t seek reelection to Ramsey County Board Ramsey County taxpayers library workers pack board hearing Joe Spencer St Paul s budget signals bold push for a stronger downtown