As part of a FortisBC pilot project, FortisBC has selected Tilbury Ice arena to be one of ten ice rink facilities in B.C. to trial REALice water spinning technology. The pilot aims to evaluate the energy efficiency benefits of the REALice system when used in conjunction with conventional ice resurfacing equipment.
Arenas currently use heated water in ice resurfacing equipment in order to eliminate micro bubbles, which negatively impact the clarity and hardness of the ice surface. As a result, natural gas energy is required to heat the water, while additional electrical energy is used by a refrigeration plant to freeze the heated water once it is applied to the ice surface. The REALice system uses new spinning technology in conjunction with unheated water to eliminate these same micro bubbles; in turn, reducing natural gas consumption and lessening the electrical demand from the refrigeration plant.
FortisBC is funding the capital cost of this pilot project. If successful, Delta gains the ongoing energy reduction benefits at no cost to the municipality.
The projected annual natural gas savings range between 600 and 1,000 gigajoules (GJ) and electrical savings of approximately 50,000 kWh. The REALice spinning technology system has been implemented in over 250 ice arenas in Europe, and a handful of arenas in North America have been experimenting with the technology.
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