Energy Wise
To the valued members and players at North Ryde Golf Club
ver the last few weeks you may have seen the first stage of our energy efficiency upgrade being deployed, with the upgrade of our lighting to LEDs. Over the coming weeks you will see technicians on site, installing Solar, replacing two of the air conditioning packaged units with modern efficient versions and re-gassing other Air-Conditioners with Natural Refrigerants.
The project will deliver some impressive sustainability results. Energywise, the project developer expects the upgrades to reduce our CO2 emissions from electricity generation by approximately 180 Tons each year. There is a further environmental benefit with the air conditioning, in relation to the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of air conditioning refrigerant as it leaks into the atmosphere over time. The existing air conditioning gases include R22, which is ozone depleting and has a 20-year GWP of 5,280 (i.e. 1kg of refrigerant gas is equivalent to 5,280 kg of CO2) and R410a which has a GWP of 4,260. This compares to the natural refrigerant GWP of less than 1.
The natural refrigerants are future-proof as they are not subject to the Australian Government regulatory phase-down of high GWP refrigerants in accordance with the Montreal Protocol. The added benefit is that they are more energy efficient and help reduce our electricity consumption and costs.
There are a few important dates coming up for the project. On the 25th and 26th of November, the platforms for the new Air Conditioning package units are being assembled and put in place on the roof. The first of the new packaged units will be getting installed from around the 5th of December. A crane will be on site to perform this work, with the old packaged unit being removed and sent for re-cycling. Installation time for the second package unit will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
The LED lighting project is expected to be finished before the Christmas break, with COIVD causing some disruption in supply chains and delays in some fittings being delivered. The Solar installation will take 7-8 days and will be commencing in mid-December. All components are ready to be deployed, as we wait for approval from the electricity network for our permission to connect.
We will keep you informed as the project develops, and as new systems are installed and commissioned.