Overview
Few sporting events capture the imagination in the same way as the Ryder Cup – steeped in history and loved by golfers on both sides of the Atlantic. With a television audience of 750 million, it is the third largest event after the Olympics and the World Cup. For those hosting the event, the eyes of the world are certainly looking in. As such, the demands on the site and its environmental footprint are staggering. So how did the resort manage to hold the greenest Ryder Cup ever?
The Problem
The entertainment and hospitality industries have an environmental challenge. Hosting events, let alone large events such as the Ryder cup requires accommodation, catering, broadcast and transport among other things. The energy requirements can be daunting and in some cases outstrip the venue’s supply.
The emissions from these events and venues can also be troublesome. Modern requirements mean more power than ever is used by guests, delegates and attendees. Periodic events can spike emissions massively leading organisations to CRC obligations and charges.
For both these reasons it makes sense to minimise the amount of energy used by these events. The difficulty is how to achieve this while still having the functionality of modern and in the Celtic Manor’s case world leading entertainment?
Our Solution
In a concerted effort to reduce carbon emissions and with the support of the Ryder Cup and local authorities, Celtic Manor brought sustainability into the heart of the event and chose powerPerfector as part of that drive.
Celtic Manor Resort already had a detailed environmental management programme. The programme guided the resort into fitting 10,000 low energy light bulbs and motion sensors, procuring 100% green energy and a variety of other measures. Voltage Optimisation was an important part of minimising energy use. It also meant that the golf resort is not only able to drive energy savings for the large events but throughout the year too.
A 210kVA powerPerfector unit was specified and subsequently installed in the Clubhouse of the Celtic Manor Resort on 23 November 2009 with an 8% optimisation setting.
The Results
It is easy for organisations to land in a proverbial bunker after a green drive. Not all products and solutions achieve what they promise but the resort found powerPerfector’s Voltage Optimisation solution exactly as promised.
Following an in-depth analysis of the site’s equipment, a 10% saving level was predicted. Three months following installation, further analysis showed the unit had met the predicted savings level.
Optimising the voltage meant that the electrical equipment onsite used less electricity without affecting the site’s operations. This meant that when the resort hosted the Ryder Cup, it was able to stay within its electrical supply and that it reduced the cost and emissions of the event.
