Enviro-Cooler Project

2006

Prepared
for

Federation of Canadian Municipalities

by

Alta-West Group Ltd.

Rick Owen

Project #7104 Final Report

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Executive Summary

2. Introduction

3. Purpose of Project

4. Description of Project

5. Benefits

Environmental

Social

6. Results

Stettler

Fairview

Whitecourt

7. Future Expansions

8. Recommendations

9. Who Can Benefit from an Enviro-Cooler?

10. Municipal Guide for Economic Benefit of ELC

11. Conclusions

12. Carbon Lifecycle study – Pembina Institute

2
1. Executive Summary
Energy conservation has been identified as a priority both at the
federal as well as the provincial level. Municipalities are continually
challenged to ensure sports and recreation opportunities remain
accessible and affordable within their local communities. The cost of
running sports facilities such as ice arenas is a major expense for
municipal governments. This project is designed to reduce energy costs
while maintaining or enhancing the quality of ice available to the end
users, the public. This report will summarize the results and identify
energy savings realized by three communities in Alberta that installed the
Enviro-liquid Cooler (ELC) as part of their energy management program for
ice arenas. The ELC was installed in the towns of Stettler, Whitecourt and
Fairview with significant cost savings for each. (Whitecourt 30.1%,
Fairview 43.1%, Stettler 45%) The implementation, management and
evaluation of this initiative will be described in this report.

2. Introduction
This project was conducted through a partnership between two
companies with complimentary knowledge and expertise in energy
management and manufacturing. Rink Pro Controls brings the knowledge
and expertise in installing and operating control systems in arenas for all
forms of energy control. The second company, #1141171 Alberta Ltd.,
brings the capability of manufacturing the Enviro Liquid Coolers.
Rink Pro Controls
Company Profile:
Rick Owen – Controls representative. Mr. Owen has collected and
analyzed arena energy use data from Stettler arena and nine other
comparable arenas in Alberta for the last several years.

Daryl Lieb – Controls programmer. Mr. Leib has fifteen years

experience in arena and refrigeration controls, with installations
numbering in the hundreds and spread around the world.

Norm Hamilton - #1141171 Alberta Ltd. Mr. Hamilton developed and

manages a manufacturing business in the oil business.

Andy Vanderlee - #1141171 Alberta Ltd. Mr. Vanderlee developed

and manages a manufacturing business in the oil business.

3
Acknowledgements:
The project manager for this initiative wishes to acknowledge the courage
and patience of the staff of the three communities involved in this pilot
project. Their support and cooperation were invaluable to the success of
this undertaking.

Stettler
Lee Penner, Recreation Department
48450 50 Street, Stettler, Alberta
T0C 2L1
Work Phone: (403) 742-4411
Fax Number: (403) 742-3480
Population; 5200

Fairview
Gord McLeod, Recreation department
P.O box 730, Fairview, Alberta
T7P 2K3
Work Phone: (780) 835-5467
Fax Number: (780) 835-3576

Whitecourt
Jay Granley, Director of Community Services
Box 509, Whitecourt, Alberta
T7S 1N6
Work Phone: (780) 778-6610
Fax Number: (780) 778-2062

3. Purpose of the Project

The purpose of this pilot project was to compare compressor
runtime before and after installation of an Enviro-liquid Cooler. This
reduction in compressor time was then translated into cost savings for
each community involved due to decreased energy use.

Background
Rink Pro Controls specializes in energy management in
arenas/recreation facilities, particularly in Alberta. Typically, the operating
cost of the recreation facility is one of the largest items in municipal
budgets, and there was significant interest in any technologies which
could reduce these escalating operating expenses.
The oil & gas industry is an economic leader in Alberta with
expertise in processes related to cooling and energy transfer. The
partnership between Rink Pro controls and the founders of Stettler Oil and

4
Gas combines technology of energy management in Alberta arenas with oil
field expertise in cooling and energy transfer. This combination of
knowledge and skills will be key to dramatic improvements in the
operating costs of arena cooling systems where the climate is suitable.

Enviro-Cooler Installations in Alberta

1. Stettler
Fairview
2. Ponoka
3. Whitecourt
Mallaig
Whitecourt St. Paul
4. Fairview

Edmonton 5. St. Paul

6. Vegreville
Red Deer 7. Mallaig
Stettler
Edmonton, Calgary,
Red Deer
Calgary

The facilities involved in this study are a typical cross-section of

arenas found across Canada.

Stettler is a twin arena built in 1997. It has seating capacity of

2,000 in one side and 400 on the other rink. It operates from October until
March with both rinks and 1 rink is operated from August for a hockey
school.

Whitecourt is a twin arena similar in size to Stettler but more than

20 years old. It operates the same time periods as Stettler.

Fairview is an arena and separate 4-sheet curling building which share the
same ice plant. The facility runs from September to March.

5
4. Description of the Project
An extensive review of the literature was conducted by experts from the
National Research Council of Edmonton in the areas of research and
energy conservation. This search revealed very little work done in this
area. Experts from CANMET Energy Technology Centre found similar
results. Given the lack of existing studies on efforts to reduce energy use
in ice arenas, the need to pursue such an initiative was clearly evident.
This project takes the existing cooling technology of compressors and
condensers used by most arenas in Alberta, and integrates that with the
Enviro-Liquid Cooler to optimize energy efficiency through outside natural
cooling and energy transfer.
The towns of Stettler, Whitecourt and Fairview committed to work with
Rink Pro Controls to be part of a pilot project which integrates the ELC
into their existing energy management program. The hypothesis was that
the ELC would utilize outside air to maintain the ice temperatures ideal for
recreational use when outside climate was suitable to do so. The ELC is a
large cooling system that is installed outside an arena and circulates the
rink brine solution through it to take advantage of cold air temperatures to
support the cooling efforts of existing compressors and condensers to
maintain ice temperatures.
By controlling a variable valve to divert brine solution through the ELC
when the air temperature is colder than the ice set point, the brine will be
cooled without the use of the compressor and condenser. The energy
demand of the ELC will be approximately 10% compared to the current
operational demands of the compressor system. The ELC is controlled
through the Rink Pro arena energy management system.
The ELC is designed to handle the corrosive brine solution under high
pressure within a stainless steel or aluminum system. The life span of
this equipment is equal to that of the arena. All pipes carrying the
solution to and from the arena are PVC quality tubing. Sensors are
placed along the system to monitor flow and temperature of the solution.
If problems arise in the system such as a leak or drop in temperature,
the control system sends out an immediate to alarm to the local alarm
company as well as on call staff for the arena. The unit in operation
should extend the life span of the existing compressors and condensers
by ensuring reduced wear and tear on the existing system. Therefore in
addition to direct energy savings, the reduction in compressor runtime
will save in maintenance and refrigerator plant longevity. The
photographs below illustrate the ELC installation in this project.

The results described in this report are for the 2005-2006 season. It is
interesting to note that Alberta experienced one of the warmest winters in
recorded history during this time. The ELC requires temperatures below -

6
10C to operate and the efficiency increases as temperatures drop. The
results outlined in this project are therefore conservative at best.
In simply comparing compressor runtime before the installation of the
Rink Pro Control system and the ELC with those after the addition of this
technology we found significant savings. Fairview saw a reduction of
43.1%, Stettler 45% and Whitecourt 30.1% reductions in runtimes. In
presenting the results of this project, these reductions have been
presented in the following tables as well as cost savings realized by each
community.
Stettler

When installing a device such as the Enviro-Liquid Cooler

many issues must be considered. It became evident that the ELC is
designed to compliment an existing energy management system. The ELC
has variable cooling capacity depending on the difference between the
outdoor air temperature and the ice set point. The brine used is typically a
calcium chloride mixture. Because this brine has a “freezing point” which
sits usually between -15 and -20 oC, if the outdoor air temperature falls
below this, accommodations must be made. Finally we must consider that
the operation of the ELC must compliment the existing compressor system
and must operate automatically for maximum efficiency. The issues
identified with the ELC have been resolved with basic modifications to the
system.
ELC cannot stand alone since the temperature is variable, so it must
be integrated into existing system.

7

ELC has variable cooling capacity depending upon the difference
between the outdoor air temperature and the ice set point.

The brine used is typically a calcium chloride mixture which is very
toxic.

The brine has a “freezing point” which is usually between -15 & -20 C.
If the outdoor air temperature falls below this, accommodations must
be made.

The operation of the ELC must not negatively affect the existing
compressor system and must operate automatically or the efficiency
will decline.

8
Costs of the Projects and Funding Sources:

Item Description Amount

Installation Concrete slab,crane,plumbing,electrical,fencing $69,000
Unit Rental Rental of enviro-liquid-coolers $36,000
Programming Writing the control programs for the units $15,000
costs
On site Continual fine tuning and alterations $15,000
maintainance
Administration Applications,data gathering, data reporting $15,000
Total Eligible $150,000
Expenses

9
5. Benefits
Environmental

What we propose is an addition to an existing system. Presently

arenas pump a brine solution through a system of pipes running through
the concrete slab under the ice, this solution is cooler than the ice so it
removes the heat from the ice and thus controls the ice temperature. The
brine is circulated back into an equipment room where it is run through
large compressors and a condenser system. This system removes the heat
from the brine and exits it out through a condenser. The cooled brine is
then routed back through the cement slab. Set points and temperature
sensors determine how often the compressors come on in order to keep the
brine at the appropriate temperature in order to cool the ice to the
appropriate temperature.
Our proposal would see us routing the brine outside of the arena and
utilizing outside temperatures to cool the brine without the use of the
compressors. These compressors are the largest consumers of power
within the system. By utilizing outside temperatures we can limit
electrical usage and wear and tear on the compressors.
The environmental benefits are in the reduction of electrical power
consumption at the arena level. The reduction of power consumption then
equates to a reduction in coal usage for the generation of power. To
monitor the power consumption, at present, all arenas have the ability to
generate compressor run time reports that will tell us how often and for
how long the compressors come on at the arena. By knowing the present
consumption of power and then tracking the consumption after the
installation of the Enviro-liquid Cooler we can show the power savings.
These savings are sustainable as long as refrigeration is used to make ice
in arenas and as long as we have winters.

Pollutant Unit of Measure Quantity Percentage

Variance
Electrical power KWh 192,000 45%
Green House Gases Tonnes 128 45%
*Numbers are for twin
arenas

10
 Social

Presently arena costs are calculated and then used to determine ice
costs for all events at the arena; teams and clubs must then come up with
the dollars to use the arena. Fewer costs will equate to a greater use of
the arena and less hardship for local clubs and individuals. The capital
costs of equipment for arenas comes from tax payer dollars so any
extension in the life of the arena equipment will reduce the level of taxes
required to keep the arena in operation.
The reduction in power consumption not only saves dollars for the
municipalities but is also reduces green house gases, as mentioned before
this will amount to 147 tonnes per twin arena per year. The intangible
effect from this technology is the “good feeling” in a community from
knowing that on those bitterly cold days, you are reaping energy and
savings from it. For example, the people who ride their bicycles in difficult
conditions gain a satisfaction for doing this activity.

6. Results

Fairview
Table #1

2003 2004 2005 2006 Total Change

Average Temperature oC
(Nov-Feb) -8.8 -11.9 -9.7 -6.9
Compressor Hours
3125.0 2384.0 2321.9 1828.1 1297.0
Year to Year Change
23.7% 2.6% 21.3% 41.5%
Compressor Hours
Feb 1-Mar 20* 1014.0 875.0 848.7 577.2 437.0
Year to Year Change
Feb 1 – Mar 20 13.7% 3.0% 32.0% 43.1%

#1 The Rink Pro Energy Management System was installed in the Fairview arena in
December of 2003. The Enviro-Cooler was not operational until Feb.1 of 2006. For the
purpose of comparing changes in compressor runtime, the Year to Year Change Feb 1 –
Mar 20 (above) is the most revealing. We see a 13.7% reduction in 2004 and a further 3%
in 2005 from energy management alone. With the addition of the ELC an additional saving
of 32% is realized. The package of controls and ELC provide an overall reduction of
41.5% or 1,297 compressor hours per season!

11
 Stettler
Table #2
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Total Change
Average
Temperature -8.0 -7.0 -8.8 -7.7 -4.7
oC

(Nov –Feb)
Total Compressor
Hours 4,899 3,013 2,816 2,745 2,696 2,203
Year to Year 38.5% 6.5% 2.5% 1.8% 45%
Change

#2 The Rink Pro Energy Management System was installed in the Stettler arena in July
of 2002.
An early version of the ELC was installed in January of 2004 and improved upon each year
since. This arena is the furthest south in the study and the warmest average outdoor
temperature. The complete package of control and ELC again achieved a very large overall
saving of 45% or 2,203 compressor hours! In this case, an initial 38.5% saving came
from our energy management system and this was reduced by a further 11% from the ELC.
The ELC requires cold temperatures to be effective and these results came with the
warmest winter in Alberta’s history.

Whitecourt
Table #3
2004 2005 2006 Total Change
Average Temperature oC
(Nov-Feb) -8.5 -6.6 -5.4
Total Compressor
Hours 3,606 2,783 2,496 1,110
Year to Year
Change 22.8% 10.3% 30.8%
#3 The Rink Pro Energy Management System was installed in the Whitecourt arena for
the 2005 season. We track energy use at more than 20 arenas and this arena operates the
most efficiently. Their air temperatures are cooler than most and they closely monitor ice
temperatures and humidity to match with activity. This chart shows Rink Pro controls
reduced compressor time by 22.8% the initial year and the ELC addition reduced
compressor times by another 10.3%. Again, the warm (record) winter temperatures
hindered the effectiveness of the ELC, but an overall reduction of 30.8% was achieved.

12
 Fairview
Table #4
Compressor Compressor Outdoor Air
hours hours Temp
2005 2006
Feb. 25 Fri 15.5 5.1 -15.8 Feb. 24
Feb. 26 Sat 15.9 5.7 -21.0 Feb. 25
Feb. 27 Sun 14.8 4.8 -19.3 Feb. 26
Feb. 28 Mon 19.7 5.1 -14.5 Feb. 27
Mar.1 Tue 14.5 6.9 -14.0 Feb. 28
Total 80.4 27.6
ELC
Reduction 65.7%
#4 This chart illustrates the effectiveness of the ELC when conditions are cold. As you
can see, compressor runtime is reduced by 65.7% from the same days of the previous year.

Stettler
Table #5
Energy Compressor Outdoor Temp Energy Compressor hours
Kilowatt hours Kilowatt Outdoor Temp
hours hours
2005 2006
9-Jan Sun 409 0.2 -23.5 1628 -0.2 Mon.
10-Jan Mon 654 4.2 -20.0 1527 -4.3 Tue
11-Jan Tue 728 5.2 -17.2 1614 -5.1 Wed
12-Jan Wed 389 0 -25.7 1347 -7.4 Thu
13-Jan Thu 391 0 -30.9 2133 -8.2 Fri
14-Jan Fri 389 0 -27.5 2314 -11.2 Sat
15-Jan Sat 417 0.1 -25.2 2316 -6.9 Sun
Total 3,377 9.7 12,879 166
ELC Reduction 73.8% 156 hours
#5 This chart shows the energy use of the ice plant. In the 2005 column the outdoor air
temperature is significantly colder and energy consumption is reduced by 73.8% and
compressor runtime is reduced by 94%!

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 7. Future Expansion
There are 350 recreation facilities spread throughout Alberta with
ice surfaces and 3,500 facilities across Canada. This technology will have
application in all of them that have the suitable climate. In Alberta, that
means more than 50% of them. With the high cost of utilities in Alberta,
this technology might be the difference of keeping many of the rural
curling and hockey arenas open.
Once this pilot study is complete, the technology could be very easily
adapted to any ice arena. We will develop an economic model which
incorporates the environmental, cost, and mechanical factors. With the
data collected from this study, any arena would be able to plug in their
facility information and see immediately the potential cost benefit of
installing an Enviro-liquid cooler.
Canada has a cold climate and we should be leaders in the field of utilizing
this climate to our advantage.

8. Recommendations
The following chart demonstrates the arena conditions at several sites around
Alberta for the 2006 season. The 3 sites of our study plus St. Paul all have the ELC
installed. I include St. Paul results for last year for additional information, since they had
the Rink Pro Energy Management System and ELC installed August, 2005.

Rink Pro Customer Energy Data – 2006

Arenas
warmest coldest
Municipality Energy ice temp ice temp rank air temp air temp rank efficiency

Whitecourt 521 20.7 3 2.5 5 8.5

St. Paul 712 20.7 4 2.5 4 8.5
Stettler 769 20.6 6 4.8 10 10.8
B-1 785 21.6 1 5.6 11 9.6
Whitecourt 838 20.6 5 1.9 2 7.9
Stettler 840 19.8 7 3.9 8 11.9
E 840 18.2 13 -0.1 1 10
F 870 18.4 11 3.0 6 13
G-1 999 19.7 8
H 1336 19.5 9 7.8 12 15.8
I-1 1402 18.2 12 3.4 7 13.4
G-2 1408 15.9 14 9.7 13 25.7
I-2 1545 18.7 10 2.4 3 12.4
Average 746.5 21.0 3.4 >12 Efficiency Rating

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 "Shell Arenas"
Muni Energy ice temp ice temp rank air temp air temp rank efficiency
J 436 22.0 2 -1.4 4 2
K 477 21.2 3 1.4 5 5.4
L 485 22.2 1 3.1 6 5.1
Fairview 577 20.6 4 -1.5 3 6
N 609 19.9 6 -2.8 2 8
O 840 19.2 7 4.0 8 12
P 999 20.2 5 3.1 7 9.1
Q 1017 13.9 8 -5.0 1 18
Average 516.8 21.2 -0.2 >9 Efficiency Rating
Curling Rinks
Muni kwh/sht ice temp ice temp rank air temp air temp rank efficiency
./mo.
G 1959
J 2205 21.5 2 1.0 1 5
P 2486 21.4 5 2.5 3 6.5
Fairview 3049 21.3 3 4.0 5 8
C 3080 22.0 1 4.1 7 6.1
K 3176 20.8 4 5.4 9 11.4
F 3211 18.8 9 7.4 11 17.4
N 3347 19.7 6 2.7 4 12.7
B 3549 17.9 10 2.0 2 12
L 3645 19.0 7 3.8 8 11.8
O 6981 19.0 8 4.2 7 12.2
Q 8982 16.4 11 7.0 10 21
Average 2555.8 21.6 2.9 >9 Efficiency Rating
1. Energy in top 2 tables is average kilowatt hours (ice plant only) used for 1 arena ice surface per month
2. Energy in last table is kilowatt hours (ice plant only) used for 1 sheet of curling ice per month
3. Efficiency is an arbitrary rating created by Rink Pro for comparison purposes only
“Shell” arenas is a term for arenas in smaller towns with limited fan seating

The operating cost of an arena is directly linked to the environmental set

points, that is ice temperature, air temperature, humidity and a variety of
other variables. Most or all can be controlled and adjusted for maximum
efficiency. It is evident that the possible savings for municipalities in
operating recreational facilities is enormous and needs to be pursued to
ensure on going sustainability of sports centers across this province.

15
 St. Paul

Compressor Hours - 2004 season - Sept.22 - Mar. 12 = 1,669 Hrs

Compressor Hours - 2006 season - Sept.22 - Mar. 12 = 755 Hrs
Reduction - 54.8%

Utility Savings

Total from Library, Arena, Rec. Centre $20,034.86 (Heating)

Total from Ice Plant, Rec. Centre $15,082.83 (Electric)
6 Month total change in utility cost $35,117.69

16
9. Can You Benefit from an Enviro-Cooler?

How can you decide if an outside Enviro-Cooler makes good

business sense? Every recreation facility is unique. The many
factors affecting each site must be taken into consideration and
therefore requires a specific energy audit.

1. Operating Cost Savings Model

If you are within the category, it is worth your time and effort to
research this technology. The simple criteria for cost effective
savings with an Enviro-Cooler are as follows:
 Price of power
 Price of Enviro-Cooler installed
 Refrigeration plant power consumption (during suitable
climate period)
 Total hours of temperature below ice set point temperature per
season
In general terms, the following parameters can be a guideline:
1. you require an average temperature from
November 1 – March30 of -7c or colder
Example of climate from Canada Climate Data
City Average Temperature - 2005
Calgary - -5.9
Edmonton -9.7
Saskatoon -11.7
Regina -10.9
Winnipeg -11.9
Sudbury -8.4
Toronto -2.8
Yellowknife -21.9

2. Cost of your refrigeration plant only is greater than

$20,000.00

2. Facility Enhancement Model

The other facilities that can tremendously benefit from this
technology are the older facilities, typically with undersized refrigeration
plants and a tight budget. In these instances, provided they have a
suitable climate, the cost of installation of a smaller, single rink Cooler,
could extend the existing compressor equipment’s life indefinitely. The
cost of a single rink cooler should be 60-80% less than a new compressor
package.

17
10. Municipal Guide for Economic Benefit of ELC
Municipalities can go through the following steps to determine the
potential value of an ELC for each of their facilities.

Step 1 – “Potential Savings - Total Compressor Hours–”

 Ambient Air Temperature colder than –8C - From the Canadian
Weather Service get number of hours colder than -8C (typically –
Nov.1 – Mar.15 except in Northern sites)
 Comp hrs. - From refrigeration plant records get number of
compressor hours for the same period
 Hours - Total number of hours in period of interest
Divide Comp Hrs. by Hours = Comp Factor
Multiply the Ambient Air Temperature colder than –8C times Comp
Factor
This number will be the “Total Compressor Hours – Potential Savings”
Example:
Fairview had total compressor hours of 3,265 and had 2,200 hours of
weather colder than –8c. This gives them the potential savings of

Period between November 1 ~ March 15

Compressor
hours
6,000 926 1,111 1,296 1,481 1,667 1,852 2,037 2,222 2,407 2,593 2,778 2,963 3,148 3,333 3,519 3,704
5,750 887 1,065 1,242 1,420 1,597 1,775 1,952 2,130 2,307 2,485 2,662 2,840 3,017 3,194 3,372 3,549
5,500 849 1,019 1,188 1,358 1,528 1,698 1,867 2,037 2,207 2,377 2,546 2,716 2,886 3,056 3,225 3,395
5,250 810 972 1,134 1,296 1,458 1,620 1,782 1,944 2,106 2,269 2,431 2,593 2,755 2,917 3,079 3,241
5,000 772 926 1,080 1,235 1,389 1,543 1,698 1,852 2,006 2,160 2,315 2,469 2,623 2,778 2,932 3,086
4,750 733 880 1,026 1,173 1,319 1,466 1,613 1,759 1,906 2,052 2,199 2,346 2,492 2,639 2,785 2,932
4,500 694 833 972 1,111 1,250 1,389 1,528 1,667 1,806 1,944 2,083 2,222 2,361 2,500 2,639 2,778
4,250 656 787 918 1,049 1,181 1,312 1,443 1,574 1,705 1,836 1,968 2,099 2,230 2,361 2,492 2,623
4,000 617 741 864 988 1,111 1,235 1,358 1,481 1,605 1,728 1,852 1,975 2,099 2,222 2,346 2,469
3,750 579 694 810 926 1,042 1,157 1,273 1,389 1,505 1,620 1,736 1,852 1,968 2,083 2,199 2,315
3,500 540 648 756 864 972 1,080 1,188 1,296 1,404 1,512 1,620 1,728 1,836 1,944 2,052 2,160
3,250 502 602 702 802 903 1,003 1,103 1,204 1,304 1,404 1,505 1,605 1,705 1,806 1,906 2,006
3,000 463 556 648 741 833 926 1,019 1,111 1,204 1,296 1,389 1,481 1,574 1,667 1,759 1,852
2,750 424 509 594 679 764 849 934 1,019 1,103 1,188 1,273 1,358 1,443 1,528 1,613 1,698
2,500 386 463 540 617 694 772 849 926 1,003 1,080 1,157 1,235 1,312 1,389 1,466 1,543
2,250 347 417 486 556 625 694 764 833 903 972 1,042 1,111 1,181 1,250 1,319 1,389
2,000 309 370 432 494 556 617 679 741 802 864 926 988 1,049 1,111 1,173 1,235
1,750 270 324 378 432 486 540 594 648 702 756 810 864 918 972 1,026 1,080
1,500 231 278 324 370 417 463 509 556 602 648 694 741 787 833 880 926
1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800 2,000 2,200 2,400 2,600 2,800 3,000 3,200 3,400 3,600 3,800 4,000

Hours colder -8C

18
Step 2 – ELC capacity required for local temperature
 Pump Flow – determine the pump flow from the largest pump in the
plant system
 Average Temperature for Study Period – From Weather Service
determine average temperature for study period
 Cooling Factor – Divide AVTP by (-8) this number is the Cooling
Factor.
Divide the Pump Flow by Cooling Factor
This number will be the flow capacity required for the ELC. You will
require an ELC which has the determined flow capacity with (delta t) of 1.5
degrees at air temperature of -8 and supply temperature of -5C

Example:
If your arena brine pump is 800 gpm (gallons per minute) and average
temperature is –9.5 then the cooler capacity required is 675 gpm.

Cooler Capacity required

Pump Flow
1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 941 889 842 800 762 727 696 667
950 950 950 950 950 950 894 844 800 760 724 691 661 633
900 900 900 900 900 900 847 800 758 720 686 655 626 600
850 850 850 850 850 850 800 756 716 680 648 618 591 567
800 800 800 800 800 800 753 711 674 640 610 582 557 533
750 750 750 750 750 750 706 667 632 600 571 545 522 500
700 700 700 700 700 700 659 622 589 560 533 509 487 467
650 650 650 650 650 650 612 578 547 520 495 473 452 433
600 600 600 600 600 600 565 533 505 480 457 436 417 400
550 550 550 550 550 550 518 489 463 440 419 400 383 367
500 500 500 500 500 500 471 444 421 400 381 364 348 333
450 450 450 450 450 450 424 400 379 360 343 327 313 300
400 400 400 400 400 400 376 356 337 320 305 291 278 267
350 350 350 350 350 350 329 311 295 280 267 255 243 233
300 300 300 300 300 300 282 267 253 240 229 218 209 200
(6.0) (6.5) (7.0) (7.5) (8.0) (8.5) (9.0) (9.5) (10.0) (10.5) (11.0) (11.5) (12.0)
Average Temperature Nov. 1 ~ Feb. 28

Step 3 – Economic feasibility model – regarding environmental,

mechanical financial factors
 Net Amps – Find the difference in amperage required for
compressors / condenser and the ELC fan.
 ELC Equipment Cost – determine price of equipment from ELC
Capacity at equipment supplier
 ELC Installation Cost – cost of equipment installation from
qualified contractor

19
  ELC Control Cost – cost of integrated controls system
 ECL TOTAL Cost – Add ELC E plus ELC I plus ELC C
 ELC Savings Hourly – From chart below
 ELC Savings- equals ELC Savings Hourly times “Potential
Savings - Total Compressor Hours–”

Cost ElectricalSavings per hour

/KWH
0.05 $2.24 $2.69 $3.13 $3.58 $4.03 $4.48 $4.92 $5.37 $5.82 $6.27 $6.71 $7.16 $7.61 $8.06 $8.51
0.06 $2.69 $3.22 $3.76 $4.30 $4.83 $5.37 $5.91 $6.45 $6.98 $7.52 $8.06 $8.59 $9.13 $9.67 $10.21
0.07 $3.13 $3.76 $4.39 $5.01 $5.64 $6.27 $6.89 $7.52 $8.15 $8.77 $9.40 $10.03 $10.65 $11.28 $11.91
0.08 $3.58 $4.30 $5.01 $5.73 $6.45 $7.16 $7.88 $8.59 $9.31 $10.03 $10.74 $11.46 $12.18 $12.89 $13.61
0.09 $4.03 $4.83 $5.64 $6.45 $7.25 $8.06 $8.86 $9.67 $10.47 $11.28 $12.09 $12.89 $13.70 $14.50 $15.31
0.10 $4.48 $5.37 $6.27 $7.16 $8.06 $8.95 $9.85 $10.74 $11.64 $12.53 $13.43 $14.32 $15.22 $16.11 $17.01
0.11 $4.92 $5.91 $6.89 $7.88 $8.86 $9.85 $10.83 $11.82 $12.80 $13.79 $14.77 $15.76 $16.74 $17.73 $18.71
0.12 $5.37 $6.45 $7.52 $8.59 $9.67 $10.74 $11.82 $12.89 $13.97 $15.04 $16.11 $17.19 $18.26 $19.34 $20.41
0.13 $5.82 $6.98 $8.15 $9.31 $10.47 $11.64 $12.80 $13.97 $15.13 $16.29 $17.46 $18.62 $19.79 $20.95 $22.11
0.14 $6.27 $7.52 $8.77 $10.03 $11.28 $12.53 $13.79 $15.04 $16.29 $17.55 $18.80 $20.05 $21.31 $22.56 $23.81
0.15 $6.71 $8.06 $9.40 $10.74 $12.09 $13.43 $14.77 $16.11 $17.46 $18.80 $20.14 $21.49 $22.83 $24.17 $25.52
0.16 $7.16 $8.59 $10.03 $11.46 $12.89 $14.32 $15.76 $17.19 $18.62 $20.05 $21.49 $22.92 $24.35 $25.78 $27.22
0.17 $7.61 $9.13 $10.65 $12.18 $13.70 $15.22 $16.74 $18.26 $19.79 $21.31 $22.83 $24.35 $25.87 $27.40 $28.92
0.18 $8.06 $9.67 $11.28 $12.89 $14.50 $16.11 $17.73 $19.34 $20.95 $22.56 $24.17 $25.78 $27.40 $29.01 $30.62
0.19 $8.51 $10.21 $11.91 $13.61 $15.31 $17.01 $18.71 $20.41 $22.11 $23.81 $25.52 $27.22 $28.92 $30.62 $32.32
50.0 60.0 70.0 80.0 90.0 100.0 110.0 120.0 130.0 140.0 150.0 160.0 170.0 180.0 190.0

Net Amps

Feasibility Calculation:
Simple Cost Recovery is ECL TOTAL Cost divided by ELC Savings-.

Example:
From Fairview’s data we can calculate the economic feasibility of an ELC:
Fairview net amps were measured at a difference of approximately 80
amps and their electrical price is close to .08 per kwh.

ELC Cost – $25,000.00 (as part of this study)

ELC SVG – 1,103 hours x $5.73 = $6,320. per season
Simple payback from power = $25,000 / $6,320 = 3.9 Years

Factors such as reduced wear and tear on equipment, belts, motors, etc. is
another important factor not included in the equation above. Typically
compressors are rebuilt after a set number of run hours, therefore there
will be reduced compressor re-builds from the ELC.

Increased life of refrigeration plant is also significant, but varies with every
site, so is not part of the above calculation.

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11. Conclusions
1. All arenas can significantly benefit from energy management and
in many communities this could be the difference of keeping
them open at all
2. The Enviro-Liquid Cooler is effective when the outdoor air
temperature is 4C lower than the ice setpoint
3. The “ELC” becomes more effective as the spread between outdoor
air temperature and ice setpoint increases
4. The “ELC” must be integrated with the compressor system
through controls
5. The “ELC” is environmentally sensitive. It operates more quietly
than a typical condenser and reduces electrical consumption of
the refrigeration plant when it is operating by 85-90%
6. The economic payback can be easily calculated by gathering
some basic data:
 counting the hours of suitably cold temperature
 determining the operating parameters of the arena
 utility cost

All “ELC” & Rink Pro Energy Systems installed in North-Central

Alberta have 5-year or less payback.

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