Campbell River Curling Club

Campbell River Curling Club keeps the cold in

"We knew if we wanted to survive as a curling club, we would have to install energy-saving measures. It has definitely paid off for us."

— Campbell River Curling Club President Tom Veary

Curling clubs and other arenas with an artificial ice surface face a challenge unlike that of most commercial facilities – instead of keeping the winter cold out, they want to maintain a crisp cool indoor temperature. Otherwise, curlers have to struggle with a surface that’s soft and sluggish, or worse, that’s uneven and unpredictable.

The Campbell River Curling Club faced just this problem. The facility was built in 1964, a time when energy efficiency was not a big concern to building designers. The rink’s four sheets of ice were built on a sand base and the walls and roof over the curling rink were not insulated.

Heat loss through the ceiling was a fact of life. During the warm days in September, with the sun beating down on the roof, making ice was difficult if not impossible. There were many stories of the icemaker only getting one flood per day and it had to be done at 3 a.m. if there was any hope of the fresh flood freezing. Making ice on a sand base can take up to three weeks, and there were many years when water sprinklers were placed on the roof to keep it cool during flooding.

Inspired by Winfield Curling Club

The club had to run its chilling equipment continuously to maintain ice quality, which led to high electricity costs. Club President Tom Veary wanted to reduce operating costs, but he knew that the club needed a quick return on any investments. Researching energy efficiency options, he read a Success Story on BC Hydro’s website describing how the Winfield Curling Club had received funding from the Power Smart Product Incentive Program to help install energy-saving technologies and cut its electricity costs. Veary decided to contact Power Smart to find out if the program could do the same for the Campbell River Club.

The solution: Low-E ceiling, lighting and pump upgrades

With the help of Twin Maple Marketing, a Power Smart Alliance registered member, Veary identified several potential energy-saving technologies:

• A low-emissivity, or “low-E,” ceiling, which uses a composite barrier of aluminum foil, fibreglass and fire-resistant material installed next to the existing ceiling. The barrier reduces the amount of heat radiating from the warm ceiling to the cold ice by 90 to 95%, and reduces the load on the ice-making system. Low-E ceilings also reduce condensation problems and improve lighting.
• Lighting upgrades to convert from fluorescent T12s to more efficient technologies such as metal halide and dimming controllers. New lighting technologies can provide more light where it is needed with less energy, and also allow the manager to reduce lighting where it is not needed.
• More efficient pumps and controllers for the brine system that chills the ice. With a cooler, well-regulated indoor air temperature, pumps can cycle off without risking the hard, smooth surface that curlers and skaters need.

Because the club had limited resources and needed a quick payback, Veary decided that the first step should be the low-E ceiling. It was a low-cost option that could be installed quickly and would show immediate results.

The low-E ceiling qualifies for the Product Incentive Program, so the club received a rebate of $2,200 on its material costs. By using volunteers, the low-E ceiling was installed at a very reasonable cost, and the project payback was estimated at an impressive 2.5 to three years.

The benefits: comfort and ice quality

The Campbell River club has not had a full curling season since the project was completed in mid-2008, but Veary says the benefits were immediate. “The temperature in the rink is cooler and more comfortable,” he says. “It’s reduced the time to install ice by about a week or a week and a half. And the interior of the facility is brighter, even without new lighting.”

He adds that the process was seamless, and he enjoyed working as a team with Twin Maple and BC Hydro. He’s planning to move on to further energy-saving improvements: an auxiliary brine pump and lighting upgrades are next on the list.

A closer look: costs and savings

Twin Maple Marketing Ltd., a Power Smart Alliance contractor based in Abbotsford, B.C., provided technical advice and supplied the low-E ceiling materials to the Campbell River Curling Club.

The installation used Reflectix insulation, a 5/16-inch thick, seven-layer, reflective insulation available in rolls of various widths and lengths. Two outer layers of aluminum foil reflect 97% of radiant heat. Two inner layers of insulation bubbles resist conductive heat flow. Tough layers of polyethylene give the material reliability and strength.

Total project cost: approximately $6,500
Electricity saved each year (kilowatt hours): 22,800 kWh
Annual savings on bills and maintenance: $1,300
Value of Power Smart rebates and incentives: $2,200
Estimated pay-back period: 2.5 to 3 years

How you can save

Discover just how much your facility can benefit from energy-efficient lighting, heating and ice rink technologies – now and for years to come. Under the Power Smart Product Incentive Program, a variety of products qualify for incentives that can lower paybacks and make upgrade projects even more attractive:

• Compact fluorescent lamps save up to 75% in energy costs over incandescent lamps.
• Energy Saver T8 fluorescents with electronic ballasts save 40% to 50% in energy costs over the older T12s with magnetic ballasts.
• LED exit signs are 90% more efficient than incandescent signs and last up to 25 years.
• Lighting occupancy sensors can save up to 70% in energy costs, depending on the room, while prolonging the lifespan of your lighting products.

Contact us for more on how you can benefit from energy-efficient technologies through the Product Incentive Program, call 1 866 453 6400 or read more about the Product Incentive Program.