The arena in Augsburg is one of the most modern arenas in the world. Plenty of water and modern heating pumps regulate the arena’s temperature without affecting the climate. This makes the WWK ARENA the first climate-neutral football stadium in the world. Most of this is achieved from two large heat pumps, which use close-to-surface geothermal energy and form the core of the energy system.
The required water is provided from two wells which were dug outside the stadium. Circulation pumps pump a maximum of 200,000 litres of water per hour through two plate heat exchangers and then pump it back into the groundwater stream, having cooled it by a few degrees. This deprives the warmer groundwater of some it its energy, bringing a cooling agent to a stage of evaporation. The resulting gas is compressed and thus further heated.
12,000 litres of water in a heating silo can now be warmed up to 60 degrees Celsius. This ensures the WWK ARENA can provide heating for the VIP and lounge areas, as well as changing rooms and offices during the cold months of the year. The energy is also enough to cover the pitch heating. Overall, the climate-neutral use of the stadium saves more than 750 tons of carbon dioxide a year. The energy concept of the arena was developed in cooperation with energy suppliers Lechwerke AG (LEW) and Augsburg’s municipal works, who have also been running the site for FC Augsburg since its instalment.
In 2011, Augsburg’s arena was awarded by the “Deutschland – Land der Ideen” initiative along with 365 other award winners.