Guard Field Smart Saves Odd Football Club Hundreds of Thousands of NOK Annually

”Previously, heating our two football pitches was both expensive and energy-intensive,” explains Reidar Midtgaard, Operations Manager at Odd Football Club.

As Operations Manager, Midtgaard is responsible for ensuring optimal training conditions on the club's two football pitches, even during the Norwegian winter.

Until recently, maintaining these conditions required considerable manual intervention.

”I used to interpret weather forecasts and estimate the appropriate heating settings myself. During particularly cold periods, I sometimes had to get up in the middle of the night to check that the pitch temperature was where it needed to be.”

Both artificial turf pitches are equipped with hydronic heating systems beneath the surface.

”Maintaining the minimum temperature we've defined for our pitches is critical. If the surface becomes too cold, playing on it is almost like playing football on asphalt,” Midtgaard explains, referring to the increased risk of injuries on hard surfaces.

”In the worst case, it can lead to player injuries or cancelled training sessions.”

When Heating Costs Reach One Million Kroner

The lack of intelligent heating control came at a significant cost to the club.

”Previously, the heating system was either completely switched off or running at full capacity. This created expensive peaks in power demand. At one point, heating our two pitches cost us NOK 1 million in a single year. It was clear that we needed a smarter approach.”

Odd turned to Guard Automation, a company specialising in system integration, industrial automation and intelligent control solutions, with extensive experience in developing systems for critical infrastructure.

In 2019, Guard began developing a solution designed to optimise heating control for artificial turf pitches and snow-melting systems in commercial properties.

Intelligent Heating Without Physical Sensors

Niklas Bøe, System Developer and Project Manager at Guard Automation, explains that Odd's Skagerak Arena was among the first facilities in Norway to implement Guard Field Smart.

”Guard Field Smart has been specifically developed to optimise heating control for artificial turf pitches. We collaborated with astrophysicists to develop predictive models based on weather forecasts and the thermodynamic properties of the facility. These models allow us to anticipate heating requirements and optimise energy use without relying on physical sensors,” Bøe explains.

For Midtgaard, the difference is clear.

”Guard Field Smart makes it much easier to maintain optimal pitch conditions. Instead of relying on my own interpretation of weather forecasts and manually adjusting the system, we now use advanced predictive models and intelligent control technology.”

Making Existing Infrastructure Smarter

According to Bøe, improving heating performance does not necessarily require extensive investments or new installations.

Whether the objective is to maintain safe playing conditions on football pitches or optimise snow-melting systems around commercial buildings, Guard Field Smart is designed to work with existing heating infrastructure.

”We're essentially adding a brain to the heating system. This intelligence layer collects information from multiple cloud-based data sources and uses it to control the system as efficiently as possible, both in terms of energy consumption and operating costs.”

The solution continuously analyses weather-related variables, including solar radiation, wind conditions, temperature and cloud cover, to calculate the energy required to maintain the desired surface conditions.

The objective is straightforward: minimise energy consumption without compromising performance.

”The technology enables a shift from reactive to proactive heating control. Rather than waiting for temperatures to fall or snow to accumulate, the system anticipates changing conditions and adjusts heating in advance.”

By preparing the surface before a temperature drop or snowfall, the system can reduce overall energy consumption while avoiding costly peaks in power demand.

Greater Control, Less Operational Complexity

For Midtgaard, one of the most important improvements is the ability to maintain reliable pitch conditions without constant manual supervision.

Customisable dashboards provide a complete overview of the heating system.

”I can log in from my phone, computer or tablet and get a complete overview of the system,” he explains.

”The installation was efficient, and Guard has provided close follow-up throughout the process. We no longer have to worry about pitch conditions in the same way. We've reduced energy consumption, avoided expensive demand peaks and significantly lowered our operating costs.”

What previously required continuous attention and manual adjustments is now managed through predictive, automated control.

NOK 600,000 Saved in the First Year

The financial results were significant from the outset.

During the first year of operation, Odd Football Club reduced its heating costs by NOK 600,000.

”Before the year when our heating costs reached NOK 1 million, we typically spent around NOK 700,000 annually. There's no doubt that Guard's solution is saving us substantial amounts of money. I would recommend Guard to anyone looking to improve heating control,” says Midtgaard.

Bøe believes the challenges experienced at Skagerak Arena are familiar to many operators of football facilities and commercial properties.

”Many football pitches and commercial buildings still rely on inefficient heating and snow-melting control systems. This often requires significant manual effort and results in unnecessary energy consumption.”

Traditional systems frequently depend on sensors installed beneath the surface. These can be vulnerable to physical damage, for example during snow removal, and may only detect the need for heating once conditions have already changed.

”By the time a conventional sensor registers that heating is required, the system may already be reacting too late. Bringing the surface back to the desired temperature can then require more energy than necessary.”

Guard Field Smart takes a different approach.

By combining predictive weather data with thermodynamic modelling, the system anticipates heating requirements rather than responding only to measured changes.

”The same principles apply beyond football pitches. Guard Field Smart can also optimise snow-melting systems for commercial properties, pavements and heated streets.”

”The system predicts when snowfall is likely and calculates how much energy is needed to keep the surface clear. Ideally, the surface has already reached the required temperature when the first snowflake lands.”

The result is intelligent, sensor-free heating control that operates automatically, without extensive installations or major infrastructure investments.

For Bøe, the opportunity extends well beyond Skagerak Arena.

Smarter heating is not necessarily about adding more equipment. It is about making better use of the infrastructure already in place.