Lohrenz estimates that every month St. Very important area operates, it wastes round 150,000 kilowatt-hours of warmth. Capturing that warmth and redistributing it might warmth about 65 to 70 homes for one yr, he stated.
In a geothermal system, ground-source warmth pumps flow into fluid by way of a loop of pipes buried underground. The fluid can soak up warmth from the earth.
“With the warmth from the ice rink… we put extra pipe within the floor (than we’d in a home) and we flow into (it). As a substitute of losing the warmth to the surface air, we put that by way of a warmth exchanger and retailer that warmth within the floor… We take that warmth and join different buildings,” stated Lohrenz.
Floor supply warmth pumps can cut back electrical heating payments by as much as 60 per cent, says Effectivity Manitoba.
“The massive profit is that we are able to… remove the usage of pure gasoline as a result of we are able to take warmth from the bottom and use electrical energy (to switch it),” stated Lohrenz. “For each unit of vitality that we purchase from Manitoba Hydro, we get about 4 items of warmth from it.”
He stated the swap from conventional pure gasoline warmth to geothermal may very well be an excellent choice to slash heating prices at dozens of extra metropolis rinks as properly.
Geothermal know-how has been round for many years. A rink in Miami, Man., put in it across the yr 2000.
Nevertheless, the Metropolis of Winnipeg continues to be exploring the thought.
The upfront value to put in such programs can create a barrier to utilizing them to exchange conventional pure gasoline warmth.
It might value about $35,000 to $40,000 to arrange a geothermal system at a 1,400-square-foot bungalow on a small lot, with out co-ordinating that change with different buildings, stated Lohrenz. He stated that value would rise for larger buildings, reminiscent of arenas, although it’s troublesome to pinpoint an actual value vary.
The upfront value to arrange a house to obtain warmth from an area’s geothermal system can be about half that of establishing an impartial system to take action, he stated.
Funds for the gear would drop a lot decrease if amortized over a number of many years, a technique that was used to arrange some pure gasoline programs prior to now, stated Lohrenz.
The St. Very important Minor Hockey Affiliation, which manages the St. Very important area for town, helps finding out the thought.
“What makes us an excellent candidate for this challenge is… our gear could be very updated and we’re within the neighborhood of some potential different customers for the saved warmth,” stated Scott Wiley, govt director of the affiliation’s board. “We’re all the time methods to maintain our prices down for the group.”
Town had ordered a examine on utilizing a ground-source heat-pump system to warmth the Sargent Park area, although its outcomes haven’t but been launched, stated Coun. Brian Mayes (St. Very important).
“I really feel like we’ve been speaking about this concept of the arenas actually expelling warmth and (if we might) seize (it)… for years,” stated Mayes. “I feel this complete concept of making an attempt to do extra on geothermal (is an effective one).”
On Monday, council’s water and waste committee accepted a movement to endorse the GEOptimize examine, which requires ultimate metropolis council approval. The agency hopes the endorsement will assist it safe $80,000 to $100,000 from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and $150,000 to $200,000 from Effectivity Manitoba to help the examine.
By: Joyanne Pursaga
