About the company

Following a redevelopment programme that started in the 1990s, Croke Park stadium had a capacity of 82,300, making it the third-largest stadium in Europe. As well as sporting events, the stadium also hosts concerts by leading international artists.

The stadium runs the football ground and associated underground heating systems. The stadium also operates heating and cooling systems in the many “corporate boxes” on the upper level. Furthermore, it features restaurants, a large football museum, and the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA).

To improve its carbon footprint, the stadium embarked on an energy efficiency drive to introduce renewable energy systems where possible. Being a well-known public entity, Croke Park also embarked on an advertising campaign to highlight its pioneering sustainability initiative. This was called the “Cull-Green” initiative, which means the “Green Goal” initiative.

What Maximpact did

Part of this initiative was to undertake a comprehensive energy audit for the stadium. This work was awarded to Maximpact energy expert Gerard, an internationally recognised energy expert with over 30 years of experience in all aspects of energy savings.

His work was completed over eight weeks and examined various aspects of energy usage in the stadium. These included the addition of a building energy management system (BMS), which would ensure lighting and HVAC systems were switched off when not needed. There was also the addition of better controls on the boiler, water pumps, ground heating systems, and HVAC inlet, outlet and return fans.

The stadium’s carbon footprint was determined for large football matches and one artist event – a Bruce Springsteen concert.

Finding from the energy audit

Total energy savings of over 40% were identified by the energy audit, and many of the audit’s suggestions were implemented by the stadium. The stadium has since gone on to win many national and international awards for its pioneering work on improving its energy efficiency, including:

1. Sustainability Team of the Year – Green Awards 2015
2. Unsung Hero Award for Croke Park’s Sustainability Team – 2016
3. Excellence in Sustainability Award 2017
4. Green Entertainment and Tourism Award Winner – 2019

Contact us to discuss your energy usage and see how we can help you to optimise your energy consumption.