Maitland is leading the way in energy efficiency with the opening of a trigeneration and electric duct heating retrofit at Maitland City Bowls Sports and Recreation Club.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The $1 million system will save the club $50,000 a year in running costs by supplying the venue’s electricity, heating and cooling using natural gas.
The club is one of only two in NSW to install such a system after applying for and securing a $400,000 federal government Community Energy Efficiency Grant.
The club committed $500,000 to the project, which will reduce carbon emission by about 500 tonnes a year.
The system applications include base load electricity supply; space heating for the club via a cogeneration system providing hot water to in-duct radiators; preheating of water to reduce the load on existing hot water heaters; gas hot water boiler boost system to provide heat during off peak periods when the cogeneration system is not operating; and cooling for the club via absorption chiller, providing chilled water to the cooling system, alongside the existing electric chiller.
Club CEO Ian Martin said the savings would be redirected into the community and the club’s facilities.
“At a time when there has been an unprecedented number of club closures across NSW, this gives our club certainty for the future and will reduce our carbon footprint,” he said. “Our electricity bill is now lower than it was in dollar terms three years ago.”
Maitland City Bowls Sports and Recreation Club started in 1937 at Rutherford as a venue for lawn bowls.
The club has grown to include a 33-room motel, a boxing gym, beverage, catering and gaming services, function rooms and employs 45 people.
It is a base for various sporting clubs and community organisations such as cricket, football and AFL.
An energy audit was carried out in 2011 and 2012 in response to the club’s record high electricity consumption after the last round of renovations in 2009.
The key conclusion was to move away from electric duct heating to hot water-based heating for the venue.