Eisstadion: High energy costs have consequences

Created: 07/20/2022, 20:00

By: Peter Borchers

Everything in view: Arena boss Rico Lehwald and his colleagues have to keep an eye on the significantly increased energy costs for operating the ice rink due to the Ukraine war - and react if necessary.

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In the Geretsried ice stadium, a lot of electricity is heated - or cooled.

How the operator association is reacting to the increased energy costs.

Geretsried – There is war in Eastern Europe and the pandemic is far from over.

In terms of energy, the times are not good, both figuratively and literally.

People are worried that they will be cold in the coming winter because there is no gas.

And nobody looks forward to their next electricity bill.

What applies to private individuals also applies to bulk buyers.

The Heinz-Schneider-Eisstadion in Geretsried, although energetically up-to-date after the general refurbishment, consumes electricity – its main energy source.

This is obvious: A few dynamos or solar panels are not enough to produce an ice surface and keep it cool.

Defrost earlier, start later: "Of course, we can't ignore the topic"

The club ESC Sportstadion has leased the arena.

Its chairman Rico Lehwald, along with his team and those responsible at ESC Geretsried around club boss Markus Janka, naturally also gave some thought to energy costs, because "of course, the topic does not go past us".

The first consequence.

"We will open the season on August 8th, a week later than originally planned."

Can't do it later.

Because the tenants of Ice Age, in this case the Tölz legend Rick Boehm with his ice hockey school, "of course also need planning security," says Lehwald.

He also recalls that the stadium club ended last season earlier than planned.

“The ice was supposed to stay until the end of April, but we made a stop earlier.

We reserve the right to do that for the coming season as well.”

The Geretsrieder Stadion is one of the last in the region to be iced over this summer.

Miesbach has had ice for a few weeks, and the playing surface in Tölz has already been prepared.

The late start is clearly to be seen in connection with the responsible use of energy costs, says the stadium manager.

On the other hand, however, there is the sporty side: "The ESC does not want to crawl around at the bottom of the table.

Our ice hockey team has to start training on the ice fairly early in order to be able to keep up in the Bayernliga.”

Geretsrieder Eisstadion is powered by electricity

In these times of crisis, the 50-year-old even sees it as a stroke of luck that most of the energy for the stadium comes from the socket.

"If it were gas, it could even happen that you could no longer run a stadium at all." Only "our grill station needs gas," he jokes, "and we could also convert it to electricity if necessary." Before the next electricity bill is Incidentally, he is not worried: "We have a contract with our electricity supplier, and the prices stated in it are still valid all year round." Until then, the electricity supplier would have to worry more about "whether he can finance it".

However, the stadium boss also knows that negotiating a new contract "will definitely be a tough nut to crack".

So you are not blue-eyed in the stadium club.

Aware of what is to come, Lehwald and his colleagues have “increased” the prices for using the arena this year.

There is no other way “to work in an economically sound manner”.

However, this only applies to bookings of ice ages by clubs - by the way, the local ESC also has to pay more - and camp organizers like Rick Boehm.

A public run in the ice rink should continue to cost 3.60 euros

The public run remains unaffected.

"3.60 euros for here is already the upper limit," says the 50-year-old.

"We just had Corona, people are happy that they can finally get out again.

If we now ask horrendous prices, we would only damage even more.” Incidentally, despite the adjusted prices, the stadium is very well occupied.

Sometimes Lehwald even has to turn foreign tenants down.

He justifies the great interest with the fact that "compared to others, we still charge moderate prices".

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Last information about the Geretsrieder company run - temperatures around 33 degrees expected

What is now a big advantage: The renovated and freshly roofed stadium is top in terms of energy.

Energy-saving LED lamps provide brightness everywhere.

Motion detectors in all corridors and passageways help to ensure that they don't light up in vain.

You only have to switch the light on and off at the push of a button in the cabins where people stay longer.

If someone forgets that, the ice master presses the switch on his last lap of the evening.

As in all other matters, the stadium club is also in close and good dialogue with the city when it comes to energy.

However, it has no direct influence.

There are no guidelines from City Hall.

Lehwald: "We leased the building and operate it ourselves."

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By the way: everything from the region is also available in our regular Wolfratshausen-Geretsried newsletter.