When we can do better we should always try to do better. In our cities, our provinces, and our homes. In our arenas too. When we find a tool like REALice® technology that is better for the environment and saves money, then we need to take notice and begin to use it when and where we can. That’s common sense to me.
I have always said if you live in Canada you might as well embrace winter sports. We are not a hockey family, but we are skaters and skiers. We embraced skating again as new parents, because it’s a great way to spend an afternoon together as a family and it’s great physical activity. Have I ever given any thought to how the ice in an arena is made? Not until recently. This Earth Day I am spending a fair bit of time thinking about ways in which arena ice is made, ways we are way too hard on the environment, and the legacy we leave our children as parents and taxpayers.
What do I mean by that? Parents often filter things through a different lens than others do. Before I had children I didn’t care about exercise..in fact I hated exercise. Now it is the thing I do to keep myself healthy, to set a good example and to be here, for my kids, for many years. Everything I do is filtered through a parenting lens. Right now we are their environment, we are their home and their safe place to be kids. I can control a fair bit of what is inside our home and what we do for our kids.
The greater space outside our home is the environment we leave them. I control a lot less of what is out there, but that doesn’t mean I stop trying to impact change. The environment we leave our children and grandchildren matters, and it’s exactly why REALice® matters to me this Earth Day and every day.
REALice® is a technology helping ice arenas around the world save money, emissions and the environment. With this technology, less energy is needed, the return on investment is real, the savings are substantial and it creates hard and resilient ice.
[tweetthis]Ice making might be one of the biggest expenses in the city budget. #RealiceCA can help save money.[/tweetthis]
REALice – Technology Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Rinks
It might shock you to know that for probably over a century, the ice for indoor rinks has been created and maintained using extremely hot water – 70°C and even more. That’s because hot water reduces the air bubbles in water, and fewer air bubbles gives you a smoother surface. In fact, ice made with air bubbles in it is fragile, brittle, cracks easily – and quickly becomes uneven.
[tweetthis]If you care about the environment this #EarthDay forward this post to anyone you know who works in an arena.[/tweetthis]
The REALice® technology replaces the hot water, removing those air bubbles to create an even, glossy, clear surface.
Rinks require huge amounts of water to begin with, an average of 1.5 – 1.7 million liters each season. Heating all of that water, as you can imagine, takes a lot of energy. From boilers working overtime to produce hot water, to compressors needed for cooling, an ice rink requires major energy resources. In fact, your local arena may be one of the biggest expenses your community has in its budget. In London we have 11 indoor arenas where the REALice® could make a dramatic impact. Many of those arenas have 2 ice surfaces, a few have one ice surface and at least one has three ice surfaces. That’s a lot of ice made with a lot of water.
With REALice, resource consumption – and cost – is substantially reduced. This technology saves on the cost of heating water as well as, the energy needed to freeze the water and maintain the ice.
Take a look at some of the key benefits that REALice® provides to rink owners.
- Less use of compressors and boilers
- Less use of dehumidifiers
- Less rust on structural beams
- Less maintenance due to less use of compressors, boilers, dehumidifiers, and structural beams
- Less ice cleans, due to increased clarity of the ice
- Less condensation
- Less water used and wasted
- Longer amortization on equipment
- Verified natural gas consumption reduction by FortisBC of 79%
- Average reduction in electricity of 10% – 12% based on user feedback
- Average savings of about $1,000 to $1,200 per month
In addition to these savings, REALice® is maintenance free and no extra energy, sources, or systems are needed. It’s backed by a five year warranty and expected life of 10 years or more.
With a minimal installation effort of one-to-two hours by a certified plumber, the REALice® system brings an immediate improvement to your facility: reducing cost, while maintaining excellent ice quality. It’s greener and better for the environment.
That’s the part that matters to me as a parent. This Earth Day everyone should care about things that we can do to leave the earth a better place.
A FEW MORE THINGS ABOUT REALIce:
REALice® is the Real Deal
REALice® is world-recognized technology that allows rinks to make their ice more efficiently with less wear and tear on their machinery, reduce maintenance costs, and overhead costs.
REALice® is installed in over 320 venues around the world, by the NHL since 2010 for all their outdoor games. They count the Swedish Hockey Federation, Finnish Hockey federation, and International Ice Hockey Federation amongst their partners.
IT has been tested in ISO certified labs for pressure, temperature and food safety.
REALice® technology is innovative too, built with the use of 3D printing.
[tweetthis]REALice is innovative too, built with the use of 3D printing #REALiceCA[/tweetthis]
With REALice technology, costs and maintenance are reduced, creating a quality skating surface. Head to the REALice website to learn more.
This Earth Day share the link to this post on your social channels, email it to anyone who makes decisions regarding how ice is made. If the environment matters to you, send the link to your Mayor, city employees or anyone else who can spread the word.
Follow the conversation on twitter http://www.twitter.com/REALiceCanada/ We use this hashtag #REALiceCA to share information and news regarding this technology.
I am a REALice® ambassador and I manage their social media and influencer outreach program through Thrifty Mom Media and I am compensated. I only share things here that I am passionate about and this REALice® technology is one of those products that makes sense to me.