Aviator Sports is a state-of-the-art, premier sports and recreation complex serving the diverse populations of Brooklyn and Queens, New York. Located at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, the 170,000 square foot facility and adjoining outdoor turf fields occupy four refurbished airplane hangars from the first airport in New York City.
In order to remain competitive, Aviator Sports recognized the need to reduce their energy and operating costs. Therefore through a collaboration between National Grid, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), Energy Spectrum Inc., and the City and State of New York, Aviator embarked on several projects aimed at reducing the facility’s energy costs by 50 percent.
The Aviator Sports management team engaged with NYSERDA and National Grid to draw upon their energy efficiency expertise and to take advantage of helpful financial incentives. With the help of Energy Spectrum, they implemented a comprehensive energy efficiency program that addressed all major fuel types. The major energy saving systems employed in the sports complex include:
- High efficiency lighting and the extensive use of day lighting and occupancy sensors;
- High efficiency roof over facility ice rink;
- Absorption cooling that uses waste heat to offset gas and electric use during peak times;
- 600 kW co-generation unit that offsets the boiler and other heaing equipment, allowing the facility to reduce the strain on the grid;
- Building management system that monitors facility occupancy and adjusts light and HVAC levels accordingly; and
- Continuous training of facility maintenance engineers to ensure the complex is operating at peak performance.
Aviator Sports is also a participant in the New York Independent System Operator’s Peak Load Reduction Program—Aviator’s co-genertion unit can be called upon to help New York State meet its summer peak energy demand.