Sports facility · Monitoring and control
Monitoring and control in sports facility: what the SRI measures
Monitoring and control is the building's nervous system: the building management system that coordinates installations, detects faults, reports energy use and can respond to occupancy and to grid signals.
In short
- 1This page shows how monitoring and control performs in the Smart Readiness Indicator for sports halls and swimming pools.
- 2This domain carries significant weight for this building type, with a weighting factor of 2 out of 3.
- 3The key services cover operating hour management for installations, fault detection, occupancy detection, and grid interaction.
Weight of this domain for this building type
Which services count
| Service | Lowest level | Highest level | Advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Run time management of HVAC systems MC-3 · 4 levels | Manual setting | Heating and cooling plant on/off control based on predictive control or grid signals | – |
| Detecting faults of technical building systems and providing support to the diagnosis of these faults MC-4 · 4 levels | No central indication of detected faults and alarms | With central indication of detected faults and alarms for all relevant TBS, including diagnosing functions | – |
| Occupancy detection: connected services MC-9 · 3 levels | None | Centralised occupant detection which feeds in to several TBS such as lighting and heating | – |
| Central reporting of TBS performance and energy use MC-13 · A · 4 levels | None | Central or remote reporting of realtime energy use per energy carrier, combining TBS of all main domains in one interface | level 2 or higher |
| Smart Grid Integration MC-25 · A · 3 levels | None - No harmonization between grid and TBS; building is operated independently from the grid load | Coordinated demand side management of multiple TBS | level 2 or higher |
| Reporting information regarding demand side management performance and operation MC-28 · 3 levels | None | Reporting information on current, historical and predicted DSM status, including managed energy flows | – |
| Override of DSM control MC-29 · 5 levels | No DSM control | Scheduled override of DSM control and reactivation with optimised control | – |
| Single platform that allows automated control & coordination between TBS + optimization of energy flow based on occupancy, weather and grid signals MC-30 · A · 4 levels | None | Single platform that allows automated control & coordination between TBS + optimization of energy flow based on occupancy, weather and grid signals | level 2 or higher |
Worked example
If everything in this domain is at level 0, the domain contributes nothing. At the highest level for all services, the indicative total score for this building type rises by about 20 percentage points (from 26 to 46 percent, with all other domains at level 1).
Why does monitoring and control carry significant weight for sports facilities?
Sports halls and swimming pools have irregular usage patterns. During the day, facilities often stand empty, while evenings and weekends see peak demand. A building management system that can respond to this saves substantial energy without compromising comfort.
Swimming pools add consumption for hot water and dehumidification. This consumption often runs continuously, even when no one is swimming. Good control of operating hours and occupancy therefore makes a large difference in the Smart Readiness Indicator, the measurement tool for a building's technological readiness.
Which smart-ready services play a role here?
The service operating hour management for HVAC systems (MC-3) determines whether heating and cooling run on a fixed schedule or respond to actual building load. For sports halls with changing usage, this is one of the most decisive services.
Occupancy detection (MC-9) is relevant because lighting in many locations is already controlled per field or hall. A higher functionality level couples this detection to heating and ventilation as well, rather than only to lighting.
Fault detection and diagnosis (MC-4) help operators, often municipal facilities services, to flag technical problems quickly. With large installations like swimming pool systems, this prevents unnecessary energy loss from undetected faults.
What does grid integration mean for this building type?
Services such as smart grid integration (MC-25) and demand response reporting (MC-28, MC-29) concern the alignment between the building and the electricity grid. Sports facilities with large installations can potentially play a role as flexible consumers.
One platform for automated control (MC-30) bundles these functions. This is the service with the highest functionality levels within this domain and requires coordination between multiple technical systems at once.
Does an obligation apply here?
Sports facilities sometimes exceed the 290 kW threshold for HVAC capacity, depending on installation size. From that threshold, building automation has been mandatory since the end of 2024, under Article 13 of the EPBD.
The Smart Readiness Indicator itself remains voluntary. The European Commission must determine by 30 June 2027 whether the indicator will also become mandatory for utility buildings above this capacity threshold.
What this means for you
- Owner
- As owner, often a municipality, it pays to link operating hour management and occupancy detection to actual use of fields and halls, because this domain carries significant weight in the score. A higher score on monitoring and control structurally reduces energy costs for heating, ventilation, and hot water preparation.
- Tenant
- A sports association or user mainly notices that lighting and climate control switch on automatically when someone is present, rather than requiring a manager to adjust everything manually. When faults occur in heating or air handling, the problem is spotted faster, which limits disruption during training sessions or competitions.
- Advisor
- When assessing, pay attention to the functionality level of operating hour management and occupancy detection, because these services have the greatest impact on energy consumption in sports halls and swimming pools. Also check whether the HVAC installation exceeds the 290 kW threshold, as this determines whether building automation is already legally mandatory.
Next step
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