A Rink Like No Other: Sustainability on Ice at the Skip Viglirolo Skating Rink

Terms: Project Insights

The Town of Belmont has officially opened its brand-new skating facility at the Belmont Sports Complex, Home of the Skip Viglirolo Skating Rink, marking a major milestone in the community’s commitment to sustainability, recreation, and public investment. Located adjacent to Belmont High School on Concord Avenue, the 40,300-square-foot facility replaces the beloved 50-year-old rink with a modern, all-electric structure designed to serve the town for decades to come.

Following a 2022 feasibility study, Belmont set out to create a facility that not only met the needs of local athletics and residents but also reflected the Town’s goal of a fossil-fuel-free future. In partnership with The Galante Architecture Studio, Inc., CES and the project team helped bring to life a rink that’s innovative in every way—from its construction methods to its advanced energy systems.

In this blog, we take a closer look at the systems that make this one-of-a-kind, net-zero-ready rink possible.

One of the First Net-Zero Energy Ice-Making Systems in the Country

At the heart of this project is a pioneering, sustainable, ice-making system, which is one of the first in the United States. The system produces near net-zero emissions and uses CO₂ refrigeration enhanced with glycol to improve the evaporation-condensation cycle and maintain the ice surface efficiently and sustainably.

Where traditional rinks rely on high-global-warming-potential refrigerants, this system’s CO₂ has a global warming potential of just 1, compared to typical values of 40 or higher. This enables an efficient cooling process that avoids ozone depletion and significantly reduces environmental impact—all while maintaining ice quality for longer periods.

The building also includes energy recovery systems and infrastructure for future photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, ensuring long-term flexibility and net-zero readiness.

Engineering the Future of Truly Sustainable Recreation

Energy efficiency guided the design process from the start. The Skip Viglirolo Skating Rink is fully electric, eliminating fossil fuels entirely. A heat-pump-based refrigeration system not only cools the ice sheet but also captures waste heat to support building heating and conditioning—maximizing performance while reducing overall energy use.

CES provided the full suite of mechanical, electrical, lighting, plumbing, and fire protection (MEP/FP) designs for the project. Our engineering scope included hydronic heat recovery loop and associated controls to utilize waste heat off the ice plant and provide customized dehumidification capacity within space conditioning and make-up air systems, with full electric redundancy out of a 200kW electrical boiler. Additional scope elements included a 51-ton desiccant rooftop unit specifically tailored for ice-rink humidity control, high-efficiency LED lighting design, and an 800A 3-phase electrical service sized to meet current demands while allowing for future expansion.

A Model for Communities Nationwide

The new Skip Viglirolo Skating Rink demonstrates how municipalities can modernize infrastructure responsibly—balancing performance, cost, and environmental stewardship. It offers a high-quality home for youth hockey, figure skating, and community programs while showcasing the Town’s leadership in sustainable design.

We are proud to have engineered the systems behind this fossil-fuel-free, net-zero-ready facility. Skip Viglirolo Skating Rink reflects CES’ commitment to advancing sustainable recreation design through innovation and close collaboration with environmentally focused communities.