Friendship Sports Centre becomes a testing ground for sustainable energy

Innovative technologies in and around the sports centre

The PEDFriendship project explores how the sports centre can generate and utilise a surplus of sustainable energy. Several innovations are being applied:

• Heat collectors beneath sports fields and the athletics track capture solar heat.
• Underground energy systems store summer heat for use in winter.
• Smart Low Temperature Networks (LTNs) supply heating and cooling to the neighbourhood.
• New business models improve coordination between energy generation and consumption.

Design and simulation of the energy system

TNO experts are responsible for designing and simulating the energy system. They are investigating how renewable energy can be locally generated, stored, and efficiently distributed. TNO contributes expertise in subsurface energy storage, system integration, smart heat networks, and the link between technology and social implementation.

Jens Wollenweber, Project Manager at TNO: 'The PEDFriendship project shows how private sector subsurface energy storage could provide sustainable energy to sports centres and potentially also to surrounding areas.'

Sports facilities as energy hubs

The project demonstrates how sports venues can play an active role in the energy transition. Nearly every municipality has sports facilities located in residential areas. By using these sites as energy hubs, a new infrastructure can be created for sustainable, affordable, and reliable energy supply.

Collaboration across the entire chain

The project is a collaboration between:

• Friendship Sports Centre – initiator and end user
• TNO – research, simulations, and project management
• KLIK Klimaattechniek – design of underground energy systems
• Antea Realisatie – installation of heat collectors
• Aendless Energy – development of business models

In addition, close cooperation is foreseen with local residents, the Municipality of Amsterdam, and housing associations.

Next steps

In the coming months, the partners will work on a technical and economic design for a fully operational Positive Energy District. Considerations will also be made regarding the supply of sustainable heat, cooling, and electricity to the surrounding area.

The project is financially supported by Topsector Energie, under the Top Consortia for Knowledge & Innovation (TKI) Urban Energy programme.

Photo: courtesy of Friendship Sports Centre