The innovative system captures solar heat absorbed by the artificial turf. Beneath the pitch, a network of water-filled pipes collects this warmth and stores it in the ground. When heat is needed, the stored energy is converted into usable heating for the surrounding buildings.
It marks the first collector field of its kind in The Hague. According to alderman Arjen Kapteijns (Energy Transition), who visited the site this week, the project shows how sports infrastructure can play a broader role in the city’s transition to sustainable energy.
“Sport brings people together, and here it also brings sustainable energy to the neighbourhood” said Kapteijns. “By using the heat captured under the pitch, we can warm nearby schools and childcare facilities while reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.”
Currently, the three schools rely on natural gas for heating. Once connected to the system, their gas consumption is expected to fall by around 75 to 85 per cent. The shift will reduce annual CO₂ emissions by approximately 30,000 kilograms - comparable to the emissions produced by driving about 250,000 kilometres by car.
The collector field offers an additional advantage for athletes. By drawing heat away from the pitch, the artificial grass remains significantly cooler during warm weather, improving playing conditions. The surface temperature can stay around ten degrees lower than conventional artificial turf.
Last year the same sport facility installed next to this sports field a multifunctional field with a cooling down system and water management storage beneath the playing surface. Creating a cooling system in summer and solving flood problems from the past when large volumes of rain could not drain properly.
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