The air conditioning of World Cup open-air stadiums in Qatar is causing a reaction from environmentalists, but it is set to become commonplace, according to its designer.
Saud Abdulaziz Abdul Ghani, a professor from Sudan who studied in Great Britain, worked 13 years to develop this technology.
She assures him that he is as sustainable as possibleand added that it helps protect players from injuries, protect turf, remove ambient humidity and body odor in the stands.
In the summer, the thermometer can reach 50 degrees in the small Gulf state. In winter, the temperature is milder, fluctuating between 20 and 30 degrees on average in November and 15 and 25 degrees in December.
Air-conditioning a stadium is not new, especially in the United States, but the systems developed by Saud Abdulaziz Abdul Ghani are approximately 40% more durable than current methodssaid the World Cup organizers.
He believes thatin the future, for player safety, air-conditioned stadiums will become commonplaceespecially at the 2026 World Cup in the United States and Mexico.
Is this additional energy expenditure justified from an ecological perspective?
The stadium’s air conditioning is powered by a solar panel farm, and we have the best thermal insulation, the best sensors, to use the right amount of energy in each area. We didn’t overdo itsaid Saud Abdulaziz Abdul Ghani.
There is no reason why there is no aircon in stadiums when there is heating in otherssaid French architect Pierre Ferret.
Also depending on how you aircon, Mr. specified. Ferret. If we do it with gas or oil, it is not holy. With photovoltaic panels, it’s even better.
Russell Seymour, CEO of BASIS, the British association for sustainable sport, is the delivered message by air conditioning an open space that causes problems.
While it’s time to save energy, in air-conditioned offices, for example, people often want to open windows to renew the airhe recalled.
Every World Cup stadium is different, so its air conditioning is different.
At the 40,000-seat stand of the Al-Janoub stadium, which will host seven matches, the air conditioning system is inspired by … the Ford Mondeo, which he studied during his doctorate.
The flat shape of the building prevents air from entering and allows the formation of a bubble of cooled air around 21 degrees, dehumidified and purified, which exits through small air vents under the spectators ’seats. as well as larger nozzles on the side of the farm.
This wind is forming a layer approximately two meters above the stands, descending, crossing the pitch and rising towards the standsexplanation of the engineer.
Then, we recover part of the cold air, we clean it and cool it again in contact with hydrothermal water that rotates in a closed circuit, like the cooling radiator of a car, then we push it back. on stands and on pitch, with adjustable intensity in each area, depending on its exposure to the sun, for example.
Thus, the Al-Janoub stadium will cool down two hours before a match and until the final whistle.
Saud Abdulaziz Abdul Ghani invites experts to go and review his ecological commitments and added that this technology is not patented. It can be used free of charge at any time, including outside stadiums.
It is also implemented in an open-air shopping center in Doha or even a farm in the emirate.
Source: Radio-Canada
