FSM


Sustainability


Building A Legacy:


How Facilities Managers Can Drive Sustainability In Birmingham’s Sports Quarter


By Kas Mohammed, Vice President of Digital Energy at Schneider Electric.


In 2024, a £3 billion stadium upgrade1 Birmingham


City - with Knighthead Capital


was revealed for Management


LLC, manager of Birmingham City FC, putting the wheels in motion for the project. Since then, a £1.3 billion investment into transport in the West Midlands2


has been announced by


Rachel Reeves. The area has become a real hub for investment and thinking about how we develop the sports fan experience of the future. The stadium will boast 60,000 seats3


, alongside


state-of-the-art training facilities and community pitches – we need to ensure this excitement and investment also ensures sustainability goals are part of the planning phase.


The good news is the path for this sort of development has already been laid. We’ve seen success with Tottenham Hotspur4 and Co-op Live Arena5


through smart systems for energy


management. Even early indications point to reduced waste and improved power distribution, all while delivering exceptional fan experiences. Technologies to address energy waste must be a key consideration in the sports sector.


Birmingham has already committed to thinking sustainably on sporting events. The 2022 Commonwealth games aimed to be the most sustainable yet. And with it last being in the UK in Glasgow, and that generating 500,000 tonnes of CO26


, we can’t


afford to be complacent on climate ambitions. It’s worth noting Birmingham isn’t the only city where such redevelopments are taking place; we know Manchester United are planning to revamp their stadium. This creates a real opportunity to build future-ready stadiums across the country where facilities managers not only work in iconic locations, for world renowned clubs, but also for venues that are at the cutting edge of digital integrations of climate solutions.


Such building solutions aren’t just tools that monitor, optimise, and reduce emissions; they also empower us to drive safer, more enjoyable experiences for fans and locals. While the focus is squarely on the Birmingham Sports Quarter today, it has the potential to be the driving force for smarter, safer, and more resilient stadiums across the UK and beyond.


Making The Invisible, Visible


Facilities managers maintain eyes and ears on all parts of the stadium, but without the right tools they’re often unable to see the full picture. Let’s take energy waste as an example: you don’t necessarily know where it’s being wasted, and so steps can’t be taken to reduce it. By implementing smart building management systems, you can obtain a much better picture of what’s happening, empowering you to make smarter decisions on energy usage. Using a single-pane-of-glass platform, facilities managers can monitor energy consumption across the entirety of a stadium’s assets, using data insights to inform operations and become even more energy-efficient.


18 FSM


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