A winning strategy
Kas Mohammed, Vice President of Digital Energy at Schneider Electric, explores the sustainability game plan for Birmingham’s Sports Quarter and hopes it will follow the example of some other recent stadium projects.
Birmingham City Football Club, under the direction of its owner, Knighthead Capital Management LLC, announced a historic £3 billion stadium renovation last year. The group showed its dedication to the club and the city by securing a 48-acre site in Bordesley Green for the new facility. The government’s £1.3 billion investment in West Midlands transport infrastructure, which is expected to greatly improve access to the stadium, has since given the proposal even more impetus. The ambitious plans include a stadium with 60,000 seats, state-of-the-art training facilities and community fields that will benefit the surrounding neighbourhood.
To provide long-term value and satisfy the demands of the general public, the foundation for this project must be intelligent infrastructure. Venues like Tottenham Hotspur and Co-op Live Arena are already setting the standard by utilising intelligent energy management systems to cut down on waste and enhance power distribution – whilst providing supporters with the
sporting experience they love. Addressing energy waste in the sports sector is fast becoming non-negotiable – especially when you consider that large scale events such as the 2016 Rio Olympics can produce as much as 4.5 million tons of carbon dioxide. Birmingham isn’t the only city with exciting stadium projects on the horizon: Manchester United is also planning to revamp its own stadium. We are urging all clubs to consider smart infrastructure during the planning stage of these projects.
Birmingham’s Sports Quarter is set to supercharge local development and encourage economic growth in the city. The new stadium could be even more revolutionary if smart tech is placed at its heart. This isn’t just a stadium – it’s an opportunity for Birmingham to rethink how sustainability, entertainment and urban infrastructure can all come together to influence the city’s future.
Visibility is the first step to action
Facilities managers are left in the dark and unable to identify, much less cut down on, energy waste in stadiums without the proper tools to track energy usage. A clear solution can be found in smart building management systems (BMS). Imagine thousands of sensors which collect data on temperature, energy output and occupancy levels in real-time. Data from every sensor, at any time of day, is aggregated into one dashboard for a single, unified view of operations.
By utilising smart BMSs, engineers can automate the control of a stadium’s mechanical plants to adjust heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting based on occupancy levels or external weather conditions. Engineers can implement and then automate precise environmental controls, from temperature to air quality and lighting. This is a gamechanger for the UK’s summer sporting season. Imagine an unexpected heatwave hits on a day that the stadium is sold-out: intuitive cooling and HVAC systems ramp up quickly to maintain comfort without the need for any manual intervention. Supporters can concentrate on the game, and don’t experience any discomfort or delays as a result.
This concept, occupancy based conditioning, means that energy is only used where and when people are present, cutting down on the costs associated with unnecessary lighting, heating, cooling and ventilation. A great example of this is Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, which is taking advantage of these technologies to minimise its environmental impact – and to great effect. It has been named the Premier League’s greenest club for four successive years, following a study carried out by the UN-backed Sport Positive Summit.
Keeping stadiums running smarter, not harder comes next
Smart monitoring should be a key consideration at the planning stage for the Birmingham Sports Quarter. These technologies can make a real difference to help engineers spot issues early and prevent the degradation of equipment later down the line. With an anticipated 60,000-person capacity and a constant stream of guests, systems which facilitate proactive monitoring and maintenance could play a critical role in creating smooth experiences for fans. A well run stadium promotes long-term operational success by drawing in repeat business and encouraging long-term staff retention.
Imagine this: one unified platform, embedded in the Sports Quarter’s infrastructure, that enables facilities managers to gain a view of the stadium’s assets anytime, anywhere, from moment to moment. If an error is detected with an asset such as HVAC, lighting, power systems or a connected endpoint, the platform automatically sends an alert to the facilities manager or maintenance team. The last thing attendees want during a major sporting event is for the lights to go out. That’s why dashboards that enable rapid notification are emerging as a critical tool, empowering facilities managers and maintenance teams to respond at speed before faulty components cause disruption for fans. Facilities managers can receive automated alerts anytime, anywhere, by configuring notifications via email, SMS or a mobile app. Alerts are configured based on severity, asset type or location. This enables managers and engineers to cut through the ‘digital noise’ and focus on the most critical issues first.
Birmingham’s new stadium could also benefit from cutting-edge solutions such as digital twins. These technologies allow operators to simulate different scenarios; for instance, a sudden surge in attendance, and recommend corrective actions in advance. For instance, if a digital twin predicts that a particular transformer is likely to overheat during a high-demand event, maintenance can be scheduled proactively, or load can be redistributed to prevent failure. These technologies help to ensure that matches operate without any issues and that vital assets, such as stadium lighting, scoreboards and air conditioning, remain functional.
A strategy that delivers
With the Sports Quarter’s construction on the horizon, Birmingham City has a big chance to establish a new benchmark for sustainable urban growth. This goes beyond just a construction project; it’s a critical opportunity for Birmingham to establish its reputation as a city that is leading the charge when it comes to sustainable, future-proof buildings. The development can stimulate economic growth, draw in fresh talent and act as a shining example of the UK’s commitment to sustainable communities.
However, developers and facilities managers don’t have to handle the complexity of digital transformation alone. They can obtain decades of technological know-how by collaborating with seasoned industry experts who can help with everything from early design to construction and ongoing upkeep. With the correct knowledge, tools and teamwork, this huge project’s potential becomes not only attainable but boundless.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to change the way a community, a club and a city work together to drive innovation. Future development initiatives within sport may be held to a higher standard as a result of this development. Birmingham can create a stadium that is not only world-class in terms of size and fan experience, but also exemplary in terms of environmental performance and operational efficiency. We hope that other major clubs, like Manchester United, will follow a similar path.
