first net zero arena in the united states!
On Saturday, October 23, 2021 Union Arena in Woodstock, Vermont held a “Chord Cutting” celebration, becoming the first NET ZERO ice arena in the United States. The project was designed and managed by Harold Mayhew, Bear Mountain Design, a Studio of FRIAR Architecture in close coordination with Arena Management and the Board of Directors.
For more detailed information on the arena and what it took to achieve Net Zero visit the Union Arena website.
Take a tour of the arena here!
Letter from Ryan Longfield, President - Union Arena Board of Directors
“As of early summer 2021, Union Arena’s newly-installed energy-efficient systems and expansive solar array have transformed the building into a NET ZERO facility with no net annual energy cost for heating fuel and electricity. The benefits for the environment, for the community, and for the arena operations budget, are profound. The cost of energy accounts for approximately a third of the total annual operational costs. Becoming a NET ZERO facility clearly makes the arena much more sustainable. It positively affects the cost of programs, keeping them affordable, and therefore accessible, for all.
The Union Arena NET ZERO project supports a broad array of commitments that have been made for increasing renewable energy and decreasing carbon emissions, including the goals of President Biden’s Climate Plan, Vermont’s Global Warming Solutions Act, and the Town of Woodstock’s own Comprehensive Energy Plan, “Ready for 100%” pledge to the Sierra Club and Climate Emergency and Action Resolution.
The world has discovered Union Arena’s innovative and forward-looking net-zero project, which has been featured in articles published by the Associated Press and the Globe & Mail, and in broadcasts over Radio Canada and VPR. The net-zero team has conducted classes for Efficiency Vermont, hosting other ice arena operators. They served as panel members in a webinar shared nationwide in Canada to create a road map to help Canadian municipalities get to NET ZERO.”
