OVERVIEW As part of the Action Centre’s Recreation Energy Conservation Program, the Town of Rimbey added variable frequency drives (VFDs)…
Recreation Energy Conservation Program
Town of Rimbey Aquatic Centre Pool Pump VFDs
Town of Rimbey
This project was funded through the Recreation Energy Conservation Program
City of St. Albert
2021Completion Year
$74,700.00Project Cost
$41,432.59Cost Savings
$33,267.41MCCAC Funding
1Simple Payback Period
426,894kWh/yearElectrical Energy Generation
243tonnes CO2e/yearGHG Reductions
As part of the Action Centre’s Recreation Energy Conservation Program, the City of St. Albert added variable frequency drives (VFDs) on their Servus Credit Union Place pool pumps. The retrofit involved installing VFDs on four filtration, two on the lazy river, and two on waterslide pumps. The eight VFDs are expected to reduce the facility’s annual electrical energy consumption by over five percent.
The project was commissioned in October 2021.
Instead of running the pump motors at a constant speed, VFDs allow motor speed to be adjusted according to the output requirements. As a result, VFDs help reduce electricity consumption and maintenance costs and will even extend motor lifespan.
Additional benefits of VFDs include:
The installation of VFDs resulted in a reduction of 243 tCO2/year and an energy cost savings of $41,432.59/year. The project resulted in a 55% GHG reduction from the existing system and a 4% reduction facility-wide compared to the baseline.
“Environmental stewardship and efficient energy use are priorities for the City and part of the new long-range Municipal Development Plan. These projects demonstrate the action being taken to conserve energy and are big steps forward for our plan.”
-City of St. Albert Mayor, Cathy Heron
“With these projects, the City of St. Albert demonstrates their commitment to reducing energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and operating costs. These are great examples of how thinking differently about existing assets can lead to real savings.”
-Trina Innes, Executive Director of Sustainability Services with the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association