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Tim Hiers, The Old Collier Golf Club in Naples, Fla., lays claims to one of the most energy efficient maintenance facilities in the world. Spread out over three acres with 4,500 square feet of air-conditioned space, it only gets tagged with an electric bill of less than $600 per month.
“Things we did 13 years ago, people are just starting to do today,” says Hiers, referring to the state-of-the-art technology and energy conservation incorporated into the facility. “Usually when people study an energy system, they do an energy feasibility study. We didn’t actually do one because our process was much more specific – we actually designed the chill water and thermal storage systems and then bid them out. We were then able to figure out the payback and see that it was worth it.”
The SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating measures the efficiency of an air conditioning system. The higher the rating, the greater the efficiency. In 2000, the SEER rating code for Collier County was 10, and today it’s 13. In 2000, Old Collier’s rating was 19.5 – validation of its high achievement in this area. Part of the reason their SEER rating went from 18 to 19.5 is because they installed a variable speed air handler into their air conditioning system. Plus, they get the air conditioners tuned every six months and change the filters every month.
The choice of concrete around the facility versus asphalt makes the environment 40 to 70 degrees cooler. The white roof reflects rather than absorbs heat. They are slowly converting to LED tubular lights, which are expensive but should save money in the long run.
“In the lunch room, we’ve learned that you don’t turn those lights off because it takes more energy to turn those lights on then it does to leave them running,” says Hiers. “Turning them on and off also shortens the life of the ballast.”
They even have an “energy miser” on their vending machine, which cuts energy use by 30 percent. The hot water heater is only run three hours a day when they need it, and when they leave at night, the thermostat is set to no higher than 82 degrees because the heat load that builds up in the walls, says Hiers, will cost you more than energy than you think you’re saving. In winter, they set it at 55 degrees if it gets really cold because, according to Hiers, heat energy is three times as expensive as air conditioning energy.
“It’s not unusual for a normal home to have an electric bill of $400 per month,” says Hiers. “Our is $600 and we’re on three acres.”
