FAIR LAWN, N.J. — At Yardmen Arena in Belleville, Ontario, Canada, rather than just replacing the aging mechanical system with an updated version, city officials looked for a more energy efficient solution, ultimately settling on an ice storage system.

Built in 1978 and home to the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Belleville Bulls, the Yardmen Arena’s existing chilled water system needed to be replaced to meet forthcoming regulations. The city sought a green solution that would comply with the new regulation as well as lower annual energy expenses. The city retained design/build contractor George A. Kelson Mechanical, Stantec, and Trane to install a new chilled water system.

The installation already exceeds expectations by 25 percent. The city of Belleville is now anticipating a three-year payback instead of the estimated four-year payback. Even on the hottest days in the summer, where temperatures often exceed 90°F, the electric chiller remains off. Cooling is supplied from the ice storage tank and a 30 horsepower pump operating at half speed. Prior to this retrofit, Yardmen Area was the biggest energy consumer of all the city’s assets. The CALMAC ice storage system and Trane Tracer™ chilled water system plant and ice controls, which provide additional savings from demand response rebates from Ontario Power Authority, have enabled the arena to see significant energy savings.

“We now have a chilled water system that is half the size of the original and operates during off-peak hours, saving us money,” said Peter Lyng, facilities manager, Recreation, Culture and Community Services for the city of Belleville. “Everyone is extremely enthusiastic since the new system was installed. People are looking to us as leaders for green solutions. The city’s Green Task Force is ecstatic with the energy savings.”

“We are glad the project allowed the Yardmen Arena to maintain its presence in the community while complying with Ontario regulations,” said Mark MacCracken, CEO of CALMAC. “Moreover, I’m pleased that our IceBank tanks will help the city save money while reducing the impact of peak energy usage on the environment. We hope the city of Belleville can serve as an example to other cities looking to upgrade their systems.”

CALMAC’s IceBank energy storage equipment has over 4,000 ice storage installations worldwide. For more information, visit www.calmac.com.

Publication date: 10/17/2011