Honeywell announced that it is working with the Ramsey County, Minnesota government to bring building automation and energy management technology to 10 county-managed ice rinks and the Ramsey County Parks and Recreation office. The collaboration is expected to enable Ramsey County to lower its annual electricity costs by nearly 20% while also reducing operational costs and strengthening system resilience.
The comprehensive initiative will also directly support Ramsey County’s Climate Equity Action Plan, which was established in 2024 with a goal to “reduce energy use and pursue 100% carbon-free energy sources in county-owned facilities.” The installation of Honeywell’s solutions and technologies across the 11 facilities is on track for completion by the end of this year and will mark a major milestone toward the County’s energy optimization goals.
“By collaborating together with Ramsey County on this project, we are not just helping to drive a positive outcome for the county but are also helping to create a better experience for the skaters, families and staff across the entire community,” said Sudhakar Janakiraman, president, Honeywell Building Solutions. “With cutting edge systems, Ramsey County will now have the tools to help reduce both costs and energy usage to further accelerate its climate action goals.”
Through this project, Honeywell is integrating a range of improvements to the facilities that are tailored to address Ramsey County’s unique needs, such as:
- Smarter, Connected Systems: New automated building management systems will connect diverse building systems – from Honeywell and other providers – to help optimize heating, cooling and ice conditions based on usage.
- Energy Efficiency: Energy-efficient LED lighting upgrades will help enhance visibility and building envelope sealing will help reduce energy loss, improving comfort and lowering dehumidification costs.
- Carbon Management: Using the Honeywell Forge platform, Honeywell Carbon and Energy Manager will enable near real-time utility tracking to help identify cost-saving opportunities and monitor equipment performance remotely. In tandem, enhanced HVAC controls – which support scheduling and CO2 monitoring – will help boost efficiency, improve refrigerant leak detection and reduce operating costs.
- Energy Optimization: Facilities will also have gas-fired heating replaced with modern systems, further streamlining maintenance and helping reduce natural gas use.
As part of this project, two of Ramsey County’s largest ice rinks – Aldrich Arena and TCO Sports Garden – will harness renewable power with new solar panels, while four other arenas – Oscar Johnson, Ken Yackel - West Side, White Bear and Shoreview – will receive refrigerant leak detection upgrades to help improve chiller efficiency and safety.
“Ramsey County’s ice rinks and parks facilities are vital to our community, and these building automation upgrades will help ensure they will remain welcoming and reliable spaces for years to come,” said Mark McCabe, director of Ramsey County Parks and Recreation. “By tapping Honeywell’s deep expertise in both automation and energy management solutions, we are improving the way these buildings operate in order to reduce our energy use, save taxpayers money and deliver on our promise to pursue carbon-free energy sources.”
