THE STORY

Ice Realm Carlsbad is a year-round indoor ice rink facility in Southern California serving local athletes, families, and community programs. Because maintaining ice conditions requires continuous cooling operations, electricity represents one of the facility’s largest operating expenses. 

As utility costs continued to rise, the organization began exploring long-term solutions to improve cost stability and support a more sustainable future.

THE GOAL

With monthly electric bills averaging nearly $30,000, Ice Realm Carlsbad needed a solution that could significantly reduce operating expenses without disrupting daily operations or impacting the customer experience.

The facility partnered with Franklin Energy to design and install a rooftop solar solution capable of offsetting a substantial portion of the building’s electricity while delivering meaningful long-term savings.

THE SOLUTION AND RESULTS

Franklin Energy designed and installed a rooftop solar system tailored to the facility’s energy profile and operational needs. The project was completed in just four weeks, minimizing disruption to rink operations while accelerating the timeline to savings.

By leveraging available tax credits, Ice Realm Carlsbad offset 66% of total project costs, improving project affordability and payback. In its first year alone, the solar installation generated approximately $82,860 in electricity savings, helping significantly reduce ongoing utility expenses.

The project demonstrates how customized clean energy solutions can help energy-intensive facilities lower operational costs, strengthen long-term resiliency, and plan more confidently for the future.