The Pellucid Perspective - May 2014 - (Page 7)

GOLF COURSE OPERATIONS Powering up long-term savings Golf courses pay now to save later with solar energy By Jim Dunlap T here is plenty of current debate about what the golf industry needs these days, but one requirement that everyone (except perhaps the folks at TopGolf facilities) agrees on is daylight. Given that some degree of sunlight is required during golf courses' hours of operation, the fact that some courses are converting portions of their operation to solar-powered energy seems ironically appropriate. A look at a few courses who have taken the solar power initial investment plunge demonstrates that while the sun may not shine on the same dog every day, it pays some of those forward-thinking dogs' utility bills. Three years ago, George Kelley, the owner of Stevinson Ranch Golf Club in central California and a principal in the Greenway Golf course management firm, took a look at annual Stevinson Ranch electricity bills that were running approximately $91,000 and, perhaps sweating in the California sun, decided there must be a better way. After running the numbers with solar system installer Cenergy Power, negotiating a 7-year note for full financing of the $963,000 cost of installing two solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on the property, and securing a 30 percent Federal cash rebate credit, Kelley sat back and waited for Old Man Sun to power up his cart barn and clubhouse operations and start melting that utility bill. The result? After the solar system installation, the $91,000 annual electrical bill shrunk to around $50,000, and that was reduced by another $30,000 per year in excess power generated by the system which Stevinson Ranch was able to sell back to the utility company, for an annual electricity tab of just $20,000. Once the system, which is mounted over a now-covered parking structure and on an additional site adjoining the property, is paid off at the end of the 7-year term, Stevinson Ranch will enjoy a dramatically reduced power bill throughout the life of the system, in addition to benefitting from any marketing advantages accruing to the course's "green" commitment. About the same time as Kelley was going solar at Stevinson Ranch, the Candler Hills Golf Club in Ocala, Fla., was taking the same leap into the future. The developers of On Top of the World Communities and Head Golf Course Superintendent Andrew Jorgensen had previously considered going solar to some degree, but decided the initial cost was prohibitive. Then, in early 2011, the community's energy provider announced a PV rebate program offering a rebate for a portion of the cost of the system, and Candler Hills decided to install the system atop the golf course's maintenance buildings to power all maintenance activities, equipment and battery charging. Alerted to the fact that rebate funds were limited to $1 Million, and that they would go on a first come, first served basis at 8AM on a particular date, Jorgensen and his staff hit "Enter" exactly at 8:00, and claimed what turned out to be an $87,000 rebate from the supplier, which was fortunate since the entire $1 Million was claimed in less than 30 minutes. Asked how the system has worked, Jorgensen said, "It's been phenomenal - we haven't had a power bill since we installed the system, which produces about 115 percent of our current needs. We're running a credit with our energy provider for the energy we don't use that has banked about $5,400 in the two and a half years since we started. We'll continue to build up those credits over the 20-25 year life of the system so that as the system eventually becomes less efficient, we can use those credits to offset the lack in production and continue to cover our power costs." While the previous two examples were fairly significant initial investments, smaller solar installations can pay off as well, and quickly. Gaylord Schaap, general manager and part of the ownership group at Northwood Golf Course in the Sonoma Valley wine country of northern California, said that in these trying times for the golf industry, he had to hone an effective sales pitch to convince his fellow Board members to approve an "It's been phenomenal - we haven't had a power bill since we installed the system, which produces about 115 percent of our current needs. We're running a credit with our energy provider for the energy we don't use that has banked about $5,400 in the two and a half years since we started." ANDREW JORGENSEN HEAD GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENT CANDLER HILLS GOLF CLUB, OCALA, FLORIDA www.PellucidCorp.com The Pellucid PersPecTive 7 http://www.PellucidcorP.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Pellucid Perspective - May 2014

TOC
Why defectors are the key to stabilizing golf's participation decline
OpenTee opens our golf season
PGA Junior League helping golf catch up
Powering up long-term savings
Tom Abts: It's always fun at the Run
April '14 golf weather impact: Two (in a row) positive months
Dallas, TX: 'Big D' indeed, relatively speaking
ClubCorp acquires TPC properties in Michigan and North Carolina
It ain't over 'til it's over

The Pellucid Perspective - May 2014

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