How air curtains in sports and leisure facilities help to reduce heating energy costs

For many years, the federal states have been debating climate protection and C02 emissions in sports facilities with the sports clubs. Across the country, there are now numerous projects and initiatives that are increasingly determining the social discussion in terms of sustainability and environmental protection. The main focus is on the construction and renovation of sports facilities. How can operators and sports clubs contribute to climate protection?

Sport not only connects us humans, but is increasingly associated with sustainability. Optimal energy utilisation, less CO2 emissions and energy cost reduction are among the high demands of sports facility operators nationwide.

Energy losses in the building

Popular, top-level and competitive sports please find both outdoors and predominantly in sports halls or even stadiums with roofs, which also bring fans and athletes together for major sporting events.

Highly frequented areas are above all the entrances and exits in the building. This applies to almost all types of sports facilities, such as swimming pools, fitness centres, climbing halls or trampoline halls, but also to certain areas of a stadium, such as fan shops and transitions from the VIP lounge to the outer stands.

Energetically sensitive areas are all rooms in sports facilities as well as door and gate areas with through traffic:

Entrance door of a sports hall
Entrance gates
Offices of sports clubs
Access to the VIP lounge of stadiums
Entrance to the catering area of a stadium
Gate to goods delivery
Transition areas between main and auxiliary buildings
Passage halls and corridors

Wherever there are closed building envelopes and an external door or a transition to a lower temperature zone, the use of a door air curtain system is recommended.
However, a prerequisite for proper operation is always a balanced pressure ratio.

The greatest energy losses generally occur at the exterior doors. In the areas where people enter or leave a room with permanently open doors or gates, the air previously heated in the room escapes when cold air enters. This means that heating energy is lost; staff, athletes and visitors to the sports facility find the resulting draught unpleasant. At the same time, heating energy must be generated again to reheat the air in order to maintain the room temperature at the same level. The necessary increase in energy consumption is accompanied by higher C02 emissions.

More and more new sports facilities are being built, which are confronted with such but also new energy challenges.

Due to their social responsibility for climate and environmental protection, clubs and sports facility operators are also required to take aspects of sustainability into account in renovation projects and to achieve greater energy and resource efficiency.

TEKADOOR’s door air curtain systems support the sustainability concept of sports facility operators.

Save energy and costs with door air curtains

The Tekadoor door air curtains (see Fig. 2 below) function like an air curtain. By (free-) hanging the door air curtain above the entrance door, a stable air roll is created which screens the incoming cold outside air. This is an installation where doors or gates in the entrance and exit areas can remain open. The door air curtain shields the cold air so that the warm air remains in the room.

The door air curtain is thus used as part of a comprehensive energy-saving concept for the building – as a modern structural measure to make entrance areas more open and attractive and to save energy at the same time.

Fig. 2. The DUAL EC energy-saving model

Here are the advantages at a glance:

Optimum energy efficiency
ErP compliant (Ecodesign Directive 2009/125/EC)
Supports the reduction of CO2 consumption
Technology: Use of energy-saving fans and motors
Cost-efficiency reflected positively in the energy balance sheet
Reduction of heating energy consumption
Low noise emission
TÜV South certified
Available as a floor-standing or ceiling-mounted solution
Pleasant ambient temperature for visitors, sportspeople and staff
Design can be adapted to structural conditions (installation variant, size & shape, RAL colours)
Easy operation by staff
Use as invisible door, open entrances attract visitors

Fig. 3. Our units are officially energy efficient and TÜV Süd certified.

Tekadoor has successfully supplied the following sports centres and stadiums with air curtain products in the past.

Jump House Cologne
Jump House Hamburg
Clever Fit Weinheim
Rhein-Energie Stadium Cologne
BayArena Leverkusen
Borussia Park Mönchengladbach
Alte Försterei-Union Stadium Berlin
And many more…….

To what extent is the modernisation of the sports facilities necessary?

Climate protection and sustainability are important and Tekadoor also contributes to this with its air curtain products. The topic of modernisation and the desire for sustainable sports facilities is on everyone’s lips. Many projects in Germany have already been initiated, are in the planning stage or have already been implemented. The conversion of sports facilities goes hand in hand with a rethink in favour of health and the environment.

“The greater individualisation in society, the emphasis on the health aspect as well as the effects of demographic change also require a structural reorganisation of sports facilities,” says Bärbel Dittrich, Vice-President of Popular Sports/Sports Facilities of the North Rhine-Westphalia Sports Federation 2010 (From: The sports facility situation from the clubs’ point of view).

Funding programme of the State of NRW

In order to contribute to climate protection and to support municipalities in climate protection initiatives, the funding programme “Modern Sports Facility 2022” was launched to promote the modernisation and renovation of sports facilities. (See also the information provided by the Landessportbund NRW).

The construction of sports facilities for competitive sport is a special focus of the Federal Government’s sports promotion programme. This programme is being put into practice by the Federal Ministry of the Interior, for Building and the Home Affairs (BMI) together with sports organisations, the Länder and the municipalities. The current status can be seen here:

“Modern Sports Facility 2022: How the new funding programme works”.

The focus is also on maintaining and promoting the quality of elite sport in this country and its exercise areas and sports facility infrastructure. Above all, operators of sports centres and sports clubs are to benefit from this.

Do you have another question?

Would you like more information about our products? We invite you to take a look around our website. You can also use our online catalogue or make a callback appointment. The Tekadoor team is looking forward to helping you choose your door air curtain unit.

Sources used:

Sustainable sports facility construction – environmentally friendly and cost-conscious
Modern Sports Facility 2022 funding programme
Modern Sports Facility 2022: How the new funding programme works