New energy retrofit at Karen Magnussen Rec Centre will reduce energy use by 60%
Today, Mayor Walton took part in a hockey game at the Karen Magnussen Community Recreation Centre to inaugurate recently completed energy retrofits that are projected to save $120,000 in annual energy costs.
The energy equipment upgrades — completed as part of our Strategic Energy Management Plan — will not only reduce energy costs, they will also improve the building's comfort and longevity, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60%.
The upgrades cost $1.3M, and were funded in part by a $632,000 grant from the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM), along with incentives from BC Hydro ($100,000) and Fortis BC ($70,000).
Here are the energy saving upgrades we made
- Lighting — The entire facility has been retrofitted with LED lights to improve the quality and efficiency of lighting inside and outside the facility
- "Low-e" ceiling — A new insulating ceiling is increasing light levels and keeping in the cold
- Heat recovery — A new heat recovery system captures warmth from the moist air and returns it to the water, significantly reducing greenhouse gases
- Controls — The automation system that controls the building's heating, cooling, and airflow has been upgraded to make it as efficient as possible
- Dehumidification — A new dehumidification system for drying the air uses less energy to make the air more comfortable and breathable
- Waste heat recovery — New equipment captures the waste heat produced by generating ice, and sends it to areas of the facility that need to be heated
- Wave generator — New equipment reduces the amount of energy needed to create the waves in the pool
Planning for energy savings of almost $275,000 a year across District facilities by 2018
The Karen Magnussen energy retrofit project is just one of a number of energy- and cost-saving projects identified in our Strategic Energy Management Plan (SEMP).
By taking an 'efficiency first' approach to how we manage energy, we will reduce our facilities' total greenhouse gas emissions 20% by 2017 (below 2012 levels), and accumulate annual savings of almost $275,000 by 2018.