18 Feb What People are Saying About REALice
February 18, 2022 — So what are people saying about REALice anyways? From operators and arena managers to mayors, energy managers and user groups, we’ve reached out, asked and found out what folks are really thinking about the ice, the savings, the reduced CO2 emissions and run time.
Arena Operators
- “REALice not only helps me to make a great sheet of ice but it’s saving our arena money and reducing the run time on our compressors. It’s the most important tool that I’ve ever added to my toolbox.”
Nathan Kleinschmit, Ice Specialist for The Monument, Rapid City, ND and winner of the ECHL’s Best Ice Award in 2021 - “Ice is good. We are taking our A rink down to 1/4″ this week, repainting the lines and bringing it back up. It should look great. Still at that 26°F and it is all working well.”
Terry Zimmerman, Board Member, Blue Line Family Ice Center, Fond du Lac, WI - “Our ice quality is better than it has ever been!”
Damon Johnston, Arenas Manager, City of Nanaimo, BC - “I was the biggest skeptic, being an old-school ice maker, but I can eat crow now.”
Mike Shevallier, Arena Manager, Christenson Sports & Wellness Centre, Rocky Mountain House, AB - “Some of our operators were really worried about the ice quality we’d get by using cold water to flood the ice. We found that when we converted over, they didn’t mind it at all. If there had been a difference in ice quality, I would have heard about it from everyone. But no, we’ve had nothing of the sort. With the REALice system, we’re not missing a beat!”
Ange Tassone, Supervisor of Facility Operations, City of Guelph, ON - “No spider cracks, fantastic ice, 5,000 hours less run time. The biggest thing for us is the quality of the ice. If the quality went down, we wouldn’t be using the system.”
Mike Knight, Sardis Sports Complex, Chilliwack, BC - “We get compliments on our ice almost on a daily basis. From hockey coaches, players, and figure skaters: they all just love our ice!”
Jeff Seifried, Arena Manager, Lac Du Bonnet, MB - “We are very pleased with the results of the REALice system thus far. The users have reported very hard, consistent, and fast ice. The ice also looks very clear and has a nice sheen to it.”
Zion Cruz, Fraser Lake, BC - “REALice works and making great ice comes from good ice maintenance. There’s nothing else out there that we could put in so easily and save the money we’re saving.”
Fred Kilner, Former Facility Supervisor, Fuller Lake Arena, Chemainus, BC - “In Williams Lake, we have very hard and mineralized water and we have found that the ice is as good as before the REALice installation if not better. We have also noticed our ice stays much clearer than before. We flood with 57-60°F water and have not had any problems at all since the system was installed. The cost savings on our utilities is also quite noticeably better and this is a big positive when you deal with your politicians or directors.”
Garry Breck, Facility Maintenance Manager, Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex, Williams Lake, BC - “The change in the ice is hard to describe — it just feels denser.”
Allen Van Velzen, Sunshine Coast Regional District - “It was an easy decision. We had heard from other arena managers about the high quality of ice and the cost savings and were looking for more energy efficiency projects to implement during the COVID-19 shutdown. We are happy with the results and look forward to welcoming everyone back into our facilities.”
Doug Robson, Recreational Facilities Manager, Town of Okotoks, AB - “Staff at the Family Leisure Centre have been busy over the last several weeks, testing the new system and prepping the ice surface. This new system allows the ice to freeze faster after a flood than before. When the facility does reopen, rink users will see a difference in the lines and logos within the ice.”
Stephane Rainville, Superintendent of Recreation Facility Operations, City of Medicine Hat, AB
Directors / Energy & Sustainability Managers
- “Thank you Sustainable Peterborough for the Energy Award for our REALice project at the Ennismore Community Centre! We can’t wait to put another system in Lakefield!”
- Township of Selywn, ON
- “While we normally prefer to see a full year of data first, to account for temperature changes and operational variables, we have seen results that align with estimated savings by REALice. The last three months of data show that we are on track for an annual savings of 90,000 kWh and that we are currently exceeding the anticipated natural gas savings of 900 GJ per year. This translates into $18,000 in annual savings and a 2-year payback.”
- Mark Boysen, Former Sustainability Manager, Saanich, BC
- “Our compressors are running approx. 25% less and the load on the hot water boilers is down over 50%. With this, we estimate on the Hydro side alone over 87,000 kWh in savings during the 7 months operations period.”
- Rob Crema, Technical Manager, PNE Arena, Vancouver, BC
- “We’re excited! The REALice system is going to save us the community money and greenhouse gasses,” he says. “With the energy savings we’re projecting, we’ll be able to reach our greenhouse gas reduction target of 33%, several years ahead of our 2020 target.”
- Ken Olson, Olson Energy Management, Energy Consultant for the Oak Bay District, BC
- “We have been using REALice for 5 years. The quality of the ice has been tremendous. The ice set point was raised from 19°F to 22-23°F. Our compressors dropped from running a total of 22-24 hours down to 11-13 hours a day. The best part was that our ice greatly improved. We estimate that we are saving about $12,000 to $15,000 per year on our ice package.”
- Steven Wolf, Spartan Arena, Castleton University, Rutland, VT
Mayors / Councillors / Reeves
- “With the technology we have today, and other people are using it and it’s working, why wouldn’t we try it?”
Mayor Lorne Buis, Town of Foremost, AB - “We couldn’t be more excited about this new technology. With the facility shut down earlier this year, it was a no-brainer to utilize this time to install these devices that will help us save operating dollars after the first year of use. It only made sense to us, and it aligns with our Environmental Sustainability Plan.”
Mayor Bob Young, City of Leduc, AB - “Council is pleased to see City Administration advance the 2022-2025 strategic plan. The installation of the REALice system allows us to reduce operating costs and further minimize our impact on the environment.”
Mayor Gerald Aalbers, City of Lloydminster, AB - “Lacombe is a winter sport and recreation destination. Council is pleased to see the City will be able to sustain that reputation, while at the same time reducing costs and keeping our local environment at the forefront.”
Mayor Grant Creasey, City of Lacombe, AB - “We were pleased with the installation of our ice using our REALice system and look forward to the energy efficiency savings for years to come.”
Mayor Gordon Reynolds, Town of Bow Island, AB - “This project represents one of the many ways the Town of Banff is working to reduce our overall energy consumption, which is a key strategy in addressing climate change. With a more energy-efficient system, the Fenlands will put us on track towards our goal of reducing GHG emissions to 30% below 2016 levels by 2030, and 80% by 2050. And any reduction in energy use can help us save tax dollars too.”
Mayor Karen Sorensen, Town of Banff, AB - “In an effort to reduce our carbon footprint, Foothills County is pleased to implement this energy-efficient REALice device at Scott Seaman Sports Rink. We continue to work with our Municipal Energy Manager to find ways to do our part with ongoing climate concerns.”
Reeve Delilah Miller, Foothills County Council, AB
Users
- “Ice made with REALice is resilient and strong & allows for a faster and better Hockey Game.”
Guido Lamberti-Charles, Hockey Coach, Euroelitehockey - “The ice is harder and nicer to skate on. It’s fast and feels more stable. I am able to concentrate on the jump itself and not so much on our speed.”
Carolina Kostner, Figure Skater and Gold Medalist, European Championship - “You notice a big difference. The ice is harder and nicer to skate on. What’s more, it’s fast. It’s very good ice.”
Tomas Sandström, NHL Legend
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