Greening the local community centre
Morden, MB
ENERGY
Morden Community Centre Energy Retrofit Project
The City of Morden studied the feasibility of improving its community centre's energy efficiency through retrofits. At 9,100 square metres, the Morden Access Event Centre is among the largest buildings managed by the small city, and includes two indoor ice surfaces.
Energy consultants recommended seven measures that together could result in substantial energy savings. The measures ranged from installing occupancy sensors for lights in public meeting spaces and arena changing rooms to insulating hot water pipes, installing ventilation controls, and replacing incandescent lighting in the main hall. The lowest-cost measure was retrofitting vending machines to reduce their energy consumption; it had a payback period of 2.5 years. Dressing room occupancy sensors were at the high end, with a payback period of 25 years. The study team recommended the city begin with low-cost, rapid-payback measures.
Results
| Environmental | Economic | Social |
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Challenges
- Attracting a large, highly-qualified engineering firm to work on such a small project.
- Gathering data on energy consumption, since the various parts of the building are not connected to separate meters.
Lessons learned
- Energy can be saved by raising the temperature of arena ice slightly and using a ceiling coating that reflects less heat onto the ice.
- Any big, costly retrofits are best done when equipment is due for maintenance or replacement.
- A study like this is worthwhile since it can form the backbone of future energy-retrofit grant applications.
Partners and Collaborators
Project Contact
Clare Agnew
Director of Community Services
City of Morden, MB
T. 204-822-5431
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