One million litres of oil saved
City says arena pellet boiler equivalent to taking 120 cars off the street
Erin Steele
Northern News Services
Published Friday, February 14, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The city is celebrating the millionth litre of oil saved after switching to a more energy-efficient way of heating its facilities.
The City of Yellowknife installed a wood pellet boiler at the Yellowknife Community Arena in 2008, which uses heating fuel made from sawdust rather than a typical oil-fired system. The boiler heats the arena, Yellowknife Curling Club and Ruth Inch Memorial Pool.
"The city is very happy with the success of the community energy plan and the initiatives that we've brought forward over the last several years," said Carl Bird, director of corporate services.
"We are very happy that we're meeting our targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions and that we've been saving a lot of money in oil costs per year."
The fuel for the boiler is made from sawdust that comes from a mill in La Crete, Alta. and would otherwise be trucked to landfills or burned, according to a city news release.
The switch is also saving the city more than $100,000 in heating costs every year and has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of removing 120 cars from the street, the release states.
The city's baling facility at the landfill also uses a wood pellet boiler, and Bird says more are expected in the future.
"On Monday we're actually bringing forward to (city council) committee a memorandum to purchase a wood pellet boiler for Pumphouse No. 1, which is where the water treatment plant is to heat the water," said Bird.
Initiatives through the city's community energy plan, including the move to wood pellet boilers, has lowered the city's greenhouse gas emissions by a total 24 per cent since 2004, according to the city.
