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City of Brockville Memorial Centre Solar Rooftop/Energy Efficient Retrofit

Type of initiative FCM Green Municipal Fund - Capital Project
Sector Energy
Project value$1,775,000
Project Type Capital Project
Sub Sector Building – Existing – with Renewable energy
Grant amount$35,772
Program type GMF
Municipality City of Brockville, ON
Loan amount$357,727
Status Fully Disbursed
Population 22,116
Project timeline 2009 - 2011
Project number 10281

Description

The City of Brockville will retrofit its Memorial Centre with a number of energy-efficient retrofits and a new solar rooftop to reduce the centre’s operating costs and carbon footprint, while improving the ice quality and the appearance of the facility. The Centre is a 52,000 square foot structure with a seating capacity for 1,350. Constructed in 1981, it is currently energy inefficient. The project will be one of the largest municipal projects in Canada of this scale, with the installation of 1,232 rooftop solar panels.
Energy-efficient upgrades to the building will include a retrofit of the lights over the icepad, throughout the arena and in the parking area with more energy-efficient bulbs and fixtures. Motion sensors will be installed in areas such as dressing rooms so that lights turn off when the rooms are not occupied. The city will replace the heating, ventilating and air conditioning unit in the community hall with a high-efficiency system. A new rooftop natural gas heat and electric cooling unit will be installed, including an energy recovery ventilator that will recover more than 60 per cent of the energy normally lost in the exhaust air stream. Alterations to the exhaust system will reduce the amount of outside air entering the facility, which in turn will reduce the amount of energy required to keep the ice at the optimum temperature. The city will install a suspended ceiling in the community hall to reduce the square footage requiring heating and cooling. A reverse-osmosis water treatment system will be used for the ice-making equipment so that the water can be frozen at a higher temperature.
The upgraded facility is expected to consume at least 30 per cent less energy. The use of solar panels should produce an annual return in excess of $200,000 for each year of the technology’s 20-year life, with a carbon offset of about 233 metric tons per year.
(Project description from original funding application)

Project results

Environmental outcomes

  • Reduced energy use
  • Renewable energy generation
  • Reduced or avoided GHG emissions
  • Promotion of eco-friendly transportation

Social outcomes

  • Protection/improvement of public human health
  • Increased public safety and security
  • Improved service delivery and/or level or service
  • Greater civic pride and ownership
  • Increased opportunities for community engagement
  • Improved public education or awareness
  • Development of local programs

Economic outcomes

  • Reduced maintenance costs
  • Increased service life
  • New or improved revenue streams
  • Innovative financing
  • Increased tourism
  • Improved district land value

Lessons learned

  • Stakeholder and community engagement
  • Council support/buy-in
  • Resources
  • External factors

Applicant

City of Brockville, ON