Low-Charge NH₃ Ice Rink in Canada Wins Award for Efficient Design

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) has presented the BMO Centre – an ice rink arena in Bedford, a suburb of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada – with an award for most efficient design, according to Cimco Refrigeration.

Cimco, a Toronto, Canada-based manufacturer and contractors, provided the low-charge ammonia ice-making equipment, called ECO-CHILL, that is part of the reason for the award.

“We’re very proud to have played a role in this distinction,” Cimco said in a statement on its website.

Notably, the ECO-CHILL system also provides the facility with heat and hot water via heat reclaim.

The energy performance of the system exceeded Canada’s Model National Energy Code for buildings by 40%, saving the BMO Centre an estimated 11,741 gigajoules of energy, said Cimco.  This translated to an cost savings of over CAD$100,000 (US$71,462) per year, according to The Halifax Regional Municipality.

By recycling the 35°C (95°F) waste heat from the ice-making system, the facility is able to preheat service hot water and domestic hot water, said Cimco.  In addition, heat recovery ventilators and embedded bleacher radiant heating work together to climatize the building while saving energy.

While confined to the engine room , the system is able to provide heating and hot water as well as ice resurfacing and snow melting.  It works in conjunction Cimco’s Ice Battery, a thermal heat collection and storage unit that allows recycled heat to be used when needed

In addition, variable-speed drives are used with circulation pumps to save energy.

For the BMO Centre,Cimco was responsible for the complete design and installation of the essential refrigeration compo­nents, including low maintenance, high-efficiency screw compressors, low charge indirect ammonia, heat exchangers and controls.