Page 35 - GBC winter 2015

Meter Daily average Use
The type of system you need is unique to your business, how much power you consume, your location and the reason you want to switch to solar. The accompanying chart shows a breakdown of the daily average Kilowatt use of a 27 hole golf club from May-July. “Where I see an off- grid solar panel system being most beneficial for golf courses is for irrigation,” says Matthew Boucher, VP of Energy Efficiency from DNE Resources.
According to the following chart, irrigation consumes an estimated 42% of your facility’s daily hydro. Solar power can be generated all day, and stored in batteries to be used when courses are starting their irrigation cycle, which is almost always done in the dark.
Similarly, when using a Hybrid system, the capacity to store the solar power generated with batteries allows courses to use their reserve during peak hours when power companies often charge a higher price for electricity, and use grid power when demands are low and the rates are the cheapest. In the event of a power outage, this offers a good solution to courses in areas prone to storms or unreliable utility grids.
Irrigation well Irrigation pump Work Shop Clubhouse total
150 KW/H 512 KW/H 100 KW/H 783 KW/H 1,545 KW/H
Average Hydro use on a 27 hole golf club between May-July per day
is it ViaBle?
As hydro costs vary across the country, so do the incentives to help you determine if it is worthwhile to generate your own power with solar panels. For example, in British Columbia, “with installation costs and today’s average electricity rates, it would take over 25 years to see the return of investment” states BC Hydro on Solar Power.
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