Electricity Savings
Electricity savings
Every hot flood puts heat into the slab that the refrigeration plant then has to take back out. Flood with cold treated water and that load is gone, and because REALice ice holds up at a warmer brine temperature, the compressors run less as well. In our estimates we use a conservative 10–12% for what those two things save; the rinks that have been independently metered saved between 29% and 45%.
Where the saving comes from
- Less heat into the slab. A 160°F flood is 150 gallons of heat the plant must remove before the sheet freezes. A cold flood freezes with far less work.
- A warmer brine set point. Operators reset brine 3–5°F warmer with REALice and keep the same ice hardness. Each degree is compressor hours saved through the whole season, not just at flood time.
- Less dehumidification. Hot water floods release moisture into the building; cold floods don't, so the dehumidifier works less.
- Longer equipment life. Fewer compressor hours is fewer hours of wear. Uxbridge's report to council notes the reduced draw on its three compressors as a capital benefit, not just an operating one.
Why 10–12%, when metered rinks show more
10–12% is the conservative figure we put in an estimate for what the two mechanisms above save: the heat that no longer goes into the slab, and the warmer brine set point.
The rinks where a utility or M&V firm sub-metered the refrigeration plant before and after all saved more: 29.5% at Uxbridge, 45% at Caledon. The difference is mostly how hot the rink flooded before (a 160°F flood puts far more heat into the slab than a 120°F one), how far the brine was reset afterwards (a full 5°F versus a cautious 3°F), and the hours of ice. We'd rather you were surprised upwards.
What was measured
Uxbridge Arena
Ontario, twin pad, October 2022 to April 2023
Elexicon's Envision program sub-metered the compressors, pumps and condensers. Over the six months with data on both sides of the installation, electricity fell from 394,158 kWh to 278,011 kWh: 116,147 kWh, or 29.5%. The Township's report to council puts combined gas and electricity savings at $24,460 over the October to April period.
Elexicon Group, Energy Savings Report, April 2023 (PDF) · Township of Uxbridge, report PR-12/23 (PDF)
| Month | Before (kWh) | After (kWh) | Saved |
|---|---|---|---|
| October | 84,192 | 58,467 | 25,725 |
| November | 64,673 | 46,775 | 17,898 |
| December | 56,758 | 39,558 | 17,200 |
| February | 53,847 | 40,148 | 13,699 |
| March | 65,892 | 42,930 | 22,962 |
| April | 68,796 | 50,133 | 18,663 |
| Six months | 394,158 | 278,011 | 116,147 (29.5%) |
January is excluded: the before-install month was affected by Covid closures. Monthly figures from the Elexicon report; totals are ours, for the six comparable months only.
Mayfield Recreation Complex
Caledon, Ontario, single pad, annual
Internat Energy Solutions' M&V study measured 84,188 kWh saved a year, 45% of the facility's electricity, alongside the elimination of floodwater gas. Combined utility savings: $10,775 a year.
Internat Energy Solutions Canada, M&V report (available on request)
George Bell Arena
Toronto, Ontario, single pad, year-round
Enbridge Gas modelled 53,320 kWh a year in electricity savings alongside the gas, from the higher brine set point and the reduced dehumidifier load.
FortisBC pilot, 10 rinks
British Columbia, 2014
The FortisBC pilot metered natural gas and verified the 79% floodwater saving. It did not quantify electricity, which is why our electricity figure rests on the Ontario studies and our own installations rather than on the pilot.
All measured results, with method and source →
What would a warmer brine set point save at your rink? Give us your plant details and ice hours and we'll include it in your estimate.
Get a free rink estimateMeasuring it at your rink
Whole-building bills work, but they mix in lighting, concessions and everything else. For a clean number, do what Elexicon did at Uxbridge: sub-meter the compressors, brine pumps and condenser fans, and compare a season before with a season after. Low-cost monitors such as Eyedro make this straightforward, and the data is what a utility wants to see for a custom incentive.
On the rebate side
Electricity utilities pay for kWh saved: BC Hydro through a custom application, Save on Energy in Ontario at 20 cents per kWh, doubled in some constrained regions. Both are calculated on the estimate we prepare, then verified. See funding by province →
The other half of the saving: Natural gas →
See how much your rink could save
REALice is already running in 200+ rinks across North America. We help you with the funding applications.
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