More on the Quinton Equation
Warning: the low energy spend at this arena may be hard to understand
Since publishing my article on Easy Benchmarking for your Arena, I've had a several requests from arena managers for the spreadsheet needed to calculate the Quinton Equation. The Q.E. is a simple equation every ice rink can use to benchmark its performance against itself. It's a straight calculation of the the number of run time hours compared to the number of user group hours over a particular time. Getting a 1:1 ratio is the goal.
If you'd like to try it out, let me know and I'll send you the spreadsheet.
This ratio is the brainchild of Les Quinton from Diamond Valley, AB and is something he's been using for years to prove how this arena's doing. In the spreadsheet, he doesn't just track the run time hours and user group usage, he also makes notes of events that impacted the rink each year. That can be any number of things, from new facilities opening near them (that might pull users away) to compressor overhauls (that reduce run time hours).
Four of Quinton's notations made a big impact on run time hours - both good and bad:
Quinton is a master of energy management, finding ways of running the arena as efficiently as possible. That includes his biggest energy-saving mantra that makes so much sense, it's almost ridiculous.
If it's not being used, turn it off
"If it's not being used, turn it off," is one of the mantras of Les and his coworkers. That strategy, together with not being afraid to take risks, and always benefitting from grants and incentives, has made a big difference in the Town's operation costs for the arena. Take a look at the chart below, which shows the kWh consumption from 1998 to 2022:
2010
In 2010, GUEST AUTOMATION 's Intelligent Rinks Energy Management Control System (IREMCS) was installed. By running the rink in a smarter way, ensuring for example, that the cooling tower wasn't running when the ice plant was, the energy spend plummeted. That was the first time the Oilfields Arena achieved that 1:1 QE ratio, with 1650.9 hours of run time and 1648.25 hours of paid user groups. The arena's energy consumption, dropped by 15,000 kWH compared to the previous year.
2015
In 2015, the arena's first de-humidifier was installed and it ran that year using the proprietary controls that came from the manufacturer. As you'd expect, adding equipment increased the energy spend and the de-humidifier did just that, adding just over 50,000 kWh to the energy footprint.
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2016
In 2016, Guest Automation integrated the de-humidifier into the IREMCS. By overriding the de-hum's controls, the electricity spend shrunk by 37,000 kWh compared to the previous year.
2017
At the end of October, 2017, the Oilfields Rink installed REALice, a floodwater treatment system that uses pressure instead of temperature to deaerate the water, requiring warmer ice temperatures (and, therefore, dropping the run time hours). In 2018, the first full year using REALice, the energy spend dropped 30,000 kWh less than what it had been in 2016, and 15,000 less than 2017. Its Quinton Equation ratio was now back down to 1.06:1 -- that was achieved in spite of having added a de-humidifier to the mix.
Maintenance Intervals Pushed Out
Guest Automation's controls and REALice both contributed to lower run time hours -- so much so that has impacted maintenance intervals. Originally the refrigeration system was overhauled once every three years: now it's overhauled once every four years. In a 12-year period, one overhaul is no longer needed in the budget, saving even more money.
The Energy Spend Warning
I added the "Warning" about this facility's low energy spend being hard to understand because what has been achieved at the Oilfields Regional Arena is SO low, many people just can't get it. Yes, this is a small town, seasonal rink, but despite the number of floods a day, the refrigeration plant needs to run to keep the ice frozen. Being able to do that on an annual kilowatt hour budget of 200,000 or less is hard to fathom, especially when your energy spend is probably twice as much, if not more.
If you'd prefer to use your budget somewhere else and stop paying for something you don't need to be paying, it's time to look at solutions your refrigeration contractor doesn't have. And did I mention Open Source? Guest Automation's Open Source platform means you're not handcuffed to them like you are with most control systems. And REALice, 3D-printed using a polyamide food grade material, and using water pressure to operate, has a 25+ year expected equipment life without any maintenance needed. And using it properly will mean less on-ice maintenance for your operations team.
You can find out more about either of these solutions by following the links on this page, or reaching out directly to me.