Sustainability and energy efficiency have emerged as crucial issues in global society in recent years, as we face increasingly urgent environmental challenges. In this context, those responsible for sports facilities have the opportunity to play a key role in promoting more sustainable practices and reducing their ecological footprint. This article reveals the importance of sustainability and energy efficiency in these facilities and identifies some measures that can be taken for owners or managers to move closer to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Two measures that have considerable weight in reducing environmental and economic impact are: installing solar panels and controlling consumption (water, electricity and gas), contributing to a more environmentally friendly sporting future.
Solar panels in sports facilities: A Clean Energy Source Installing solar panels is one of the most effective ways to reduce your ecological footprint and decrease dependence on non-renewable energy sources. Solar energy is a clean and inexhaustible source of energy, it doesn’t emit atmospheric pollutants, it doesn’t contribute to climate change, it allows you to eliminate your dependence on energy from the grid and reduce your electricity bill immediately, keeping sports facilities more sustainable and creating a clear commitment to sustainability on the part of their managers or owners.
Automated control and management of energy consumption: Automated control and management of energy consumption involves the implementation of energy monitoring and management systems that help to identify where energy is being wasted, take measures to correct these problems and create automated switching on and off of equipment that allows savings of at least 20% on the respective water, electricity and gas bills. A practical example of consumption control is the use of software to implement automatic, real-time control of water, electricity and gas consumption. For example, if there is a leak, it is detected by the software and an automatic notification is sent to the customer, allowing it to be repaired as quickly as possible, and not just at the end of the month or several months when they receive their water, electricity or gas bill. This software allows absolute control over costs, reducing them and avoiding unnecessary consumption.
Additional benefits for sports facility managers:
- Economic: reducing energy costs makes it possible to allocate resources to other areas, such as developing young talent or improving sports facilities.
- Attractiveness for stakeholders: companies, sponsors, practitioners and the sports community are increasingly interested in partnering with organizations that develop measures related to sustainability.
There are still many measures to be implemented in the fight against climate change, but it’s up to us to start changing mentalities and implementing small actions so that we can make a difference towards a greener and more sustainable future.
