12 - Energy Conservation
Energy conservation is an important initiative in Wisconsin. The state legislature has a number of energy goals, including increased energy efficiency, increased use of renewable energy, and reduction of atmospheric carbon dioxide by increasing the amount of forested land in the state. The State of Wisconsin Department of Administration’s Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy established a goal in 2019 to achieve 100 percent carbon-free electricity consumption by 2050. This will be a collaborative effort with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) and the DNR.
The GCSAA Golf Course Environmental Profile, Phase II, Vol. V (GCSAA 2017), estimates that turf maintenance accounts for 47 percent of energy use at a golf facility, with total facility uses encompassing clubhouses, swimming pools, tennis courts, and various other operations. The study identifies six major energy sources for golf course use: electricity, gasoline, diesel, natural gas, propane, and heating oil. All of these sources are utilized in Wisconsin.
Lower energy consumption can generate efficiencies and cost savings up to 25 percent. Reductions in energy use and facility costs support stewardship and sustainability efforts of the state.
Wisconsin superintendents can work toward achieving energy reductions through implementing BMPs which drive behaviors and processes, improve product efficiencies, encourage optimal design, support innovative solutions, and promote education.
Best Management Practices
Measure annual energy use for electricity, natural gas, gasoline, and diesel; propane, and heating oil input data from monthly utility statements, utilizing 2 years of data
Set baseline year to track improvements and future reductions; determine carbon footprint when practicable
Analyze data to identify efficiencies, prioritize reduction targets and set attainable goals; monitor metrics regularly to confirm compliance
Share data to ensure success and to identify other areas that need improvement
Prioritize opportunities and establish steps to implement initiatives, identify resources, projected energy and cost savings; incorporate all stakeholders to increase ownership
Establish and communicate position statement and energy policy; relate to guests, members, community
Audit and replace lighting and irrigation component use to identify efficiency opportunities
Identify opportunities for product rebates and incentives with local suppliers: https://www.focusonenergy.com/business
Ensure efficient operation and maintenance of pump station, irrigation pumps, controls, components; utilize manufacturer data to fine tune specifications and optimize conservation.
Incorporate energy efficiency and conservation measures into location, design, construction; collaborate with stakeholders to prioritize energy conservation
Explore onsite solar and electric vehicle charging stations when practicable; stay up-to-date with Wisconsin legislation on renewables
Communicate with utility provider, insurance company, regulatory officials
Adhere to state regulations, use guidelines from U.S. Green Building Council (LEED certification program)
Educate, train, motivate employees on energy efficiency practices
Data Analysis
The first step in managing energy at a golf course is understanding consumption. Conduct an energy audit through a third party or input data from monthly utility bills, receipts, and statements into a spreadsheet. Once annual data are entered, it should be designated as the baseline year to measure against in subsequent years. When practicable, conduct a carbon footprint analysis using total energy consumption to determine emissions, consult an expert if needed.
Install meters and gauges and ensure they are operating properly on property. If feasible, track energy used by the pump station separately; it accounts for the most significant energy use on the course. When practicable, segregate data on meters by area including maintenance buildings, clubhouse, tennis facilities, pools, or additional amenities for optimal monitoring and control.
Analyzing Data & Setting Energy Reduction Goals
Look at consumption metrics by month, area, day of week, and time of day. Factors to consider during analysis year-over-year, by month, or quarterly include:
Electricity utilization during peak hours 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Unusually high temperatures creating increased HVAC usage - summer season between June and September
Periods of drought causing increased irrigation
Seasonality resulting in switches between energy sources
Alterations to landscape or building renovations
Faulty or damaged equipment
Look for trends or spikes which could be caused by faulty equipment, leaks, or peak utilization. Tracking these numbers will allow for a quicker response in repairs.
Equipment maintenance does impact energy use and needs to be considered when analyzing data. Equipment maintenance and replacement schedules have to be considered along with reviewing what energy is used (e.g., switching to hybrid diesel-electric fairway mowers vs. hydraulic diesel motors may change energy use composition). Equipment inventory should be conducted on a regular basis; logging date of operation, total energy used, issues, and operational hours. This will help support future capital expenditures.
After establishing priorities, determine annual goals for energy use versus prior year. Goals for energy conservation could encompass initiatives related to infrastructure, equipment, behavior, processes, and agronomic practices. Aim for SMART goals which are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. Share goals with employees at monthly meetings and post them in a clearly visible area.
Monitoring, Tracking, and Communication
Establish a tracking mechanism to monitor energy use regularly. At a minimum, create a spreadsheet detailing units of measurement, energy used by day, month, meter or department, rates, weather, and energy conversion factors. There are tools and software services available for tracking, such as Energy Star. If feasible, particularly at resort facilities, consider energy management software which can provide robust data and controls, incorporating intelligent building automation systems and monitoring. Calculate savings achieved through energy reductions to track progress and support energy efficient capital investments.
Analyze data weekly or monthly to confirm progress toward goal attainment and note inefficiencies, spikes, or issues. Establish performance parameters to optimize irrigation pumps. Communicate results with employees on a weekly basis and post signage showing monthly progress to goal attainment to encourage teamwork and innovation, address opportunity areas, and reward successes. Consider scorecards and/or benchmarking performance between departments, or against similar-sized facilities.
Behavior
An energy management plan (EMP) moves priorities forward by aligning stakeholders around common goals. It creates structure, accountability, and a timeline. It is a continuous improvement process centered around the concept of “Plan-Do-Check-Act” which incorporates a roadmap, implementation, monitoring, and adjustments. The goals of an EMP often intersect with other BMPs, increasing impact across areas. For example, an effective preventive maintenance program can improve equipment efficiency and reliability. Irrigation efficiencies, leak detection, and monitoring can improve energy performance. Conversely, energy management practices can help lower maintenance, increase equipment life, and lower emissions.
Recommendations for energy efficiency opportunities come from a variety of sources, including reference materials, industry success stories, staff, consultants, or energy providers. Include relevant stakeholders and key management ‘champions’ as part of the energy management team. This includes employees responsible for a specific job or task, managers, and departments influential in decision-making or processes. Effective engagement of stakeholders and champions will drive efficiencies, reduce bottlenecks, and positively impact departments.
What to Include in EMP: Prioritizing, Determining Steps, Assigning Tasks
Focus efforts by choosing the top three to five energy conservation opportunities based on analysis or energy audit. Infrastructure updates, equipment replacement, behavioral changes and agronomic practices can all be priority initiatives completed by each facility. Benefits should be considered with long- and short-term costs to properly designate priority initiatives by energy source (electricity, fuel, etc.)
Establish steps to implement by identifying:
Resources needed (capital expenses, acquiring products/systems, communications, etc.)
Departments involved
Projected energy reductions
Estimated cost savings
Timeframe
Accountability and teamwork can be maximized when all task owners have priorities aligned.
Implementation
Tie EMP progress to overall energy reduction goals. Communication and engagement should happen on several levels.
Engage energy management team weekly and/or monthly to review progress
Engage leadership team regularly to provide updates to support investment decisions and show progress
Communicate with all staff regularly, including updates to employees within stakeholders’ departments
Share EMP conservation highlights and achievements with members and guests
Policy and Performance Guidelines
Employees and guests should be able to recognize that energy conservation is a priority within the operation. Behavior changes will have to take place and will take time. The facility should have a commitment to following a set standard on energy conservation.
The turf department should include goals around irrigation systems, pump stations, landscaping and the broader framework of the operation.
Behavioral Practices: Lighting, HVAC, Irrigation/Water, and Equipment
Heating, ventilating, air conditioning (HVAC) may account for 40 to 50 percent of total electricity usage for a building (e.g., clubhouse). Lighting may account for more than 20 percent of total electricity used in a building. Hot water within facilities is used for showers, hand-washing, and restaurant operations. Miscellaneous equipment, such as office equipment, can represent more than 20 percent of electricity used in a building.
Turning off devices and administering a regular maintenance program will help lower electricity expenses. Keeping mechanical systems clean improves HVAC efficiency by 10 to 20 percent.
The pump station is the largest user of energy during the summer months for golf course maintenance. The pump station should be professionally engineered, and regularly maintained, with monitoring devices to show abnormal flow, increased pressure or substantial gallon variances from the central computer. To minimize power consumption and protect the pipes in ground the pumps should be variable frequency drives (VFD). Power surges will happen due to demand and the system should be engineered to allow a variance and keep operating. The actual field heads should be audited annually (at a minimum) to show discrepancies and fine-tune efficiency.
Irrigation should be scheduled during off peak hours. Newer systems have remote monitoring of pumps and flow to identify problems before they escalate.
Energy Management Tip!
Create a checklist of energy reduction behavioral best management practices for the clubhouse, golf maintenance facility, and other buildings on property. This can be used as a self-audit and guide toward continuous improvement.
Equipment and Materials Efficiencies
Evaluate new technologies, products, or upgrades that improve efficiencies through meetings with suppliers. Examine fuel types, level of energy required, and use of alternative energy or fuels. Shifting to hybrid mowers and electric golf carts helps reduce fuel consumption and lowers greenhouse gas emissions.
For new equipment purchases throughout the club, consider programs like Energy Star or the EPA’s WaterSense program for product labeling to identify products with high energy efficiency.
To learn more about Wisconsin incentives and rebates:
https://www.focusonenergy.com/business
Design
Renovations and new construction provide an opportunity to integrate energy saving efficiencies into the plans. Engaging partners early will allow all parties to design the finished product within the club’s energy conservation goals. Architects and contractors can also be held to standards focusing on energy reductions during the project.
Investment determinations should be focused on integrating energy conservation measures.
Energy Considerations During Design
Building location
Building orientation
Course slope
Vegetation
Materials used (e.g. thermal conductivity, best material for cooling, etc.)
Lifecycle assessment on materials
Technology/smart building automation
Monitoring systems
Programmable scheduling and controls
In planning for construction, source locally when practicable. Heavy or bulky materials will take significantly less resources if traveling a small distance. This reduces embodied energy (energy used in the extraction, production, transportation and construction of a building material) to lower the carbon footprint. Energy conservation measures and suppliers may be found through the US Green Building Council, including details on the LEED framework and certification for highly energy efficient, green buildings; also the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers, or ASHRAE for energy efficiency standards and guidelines.
Energy Management Tip!
Create a checklist of energy reduction product selection best management practices for the clubhouse, golf maintenance facility, and other buildings on property. This can be used as a self-audit and guide toward continuous improvement. Sample checklist on the opposite page.
Onsite Solar Electricity Generation
An increasing number of golf clubs are installing solar to provide onsite electricity. When evaluating benefits and costs, look at the long-term effect and payback period, in addition to employee and community well-being.
Information for Solar Investment Tax Credits and incentives for businesses: https://www.revenue.wi.gov/Pages/Businesses/incentives-finder.aspx
https://focusonenergy.com/renewablefunding
http://www.energy-grants.net/wisconsin-energy-grants-rebates-loans-incentives/
Education
Educating and engaging employees is an important part of driving energy efficiencies. Making it fun and enjoyable will encourage participation. Tips and quizzes help keep it relevant and weekly challenges with rewards help motivation. Continuous education may be completed through email, signage, and stakeholder meetings.
Successes should be celebrated. During weekly staff training a small portion can be dedicated to energy to keep it relevant year-round. Suggestion boxes for stakeholders and guests can help support continuous improvement.
