2010 Winter Games Venues to Track Energy Consumption in Real Time

BC Hydro and the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) have announced the launch of an online energy tracker that will publicly monitor real-time energy consumption of 2010 Winter Games sites within the cities of Vancouver and Richmond, the Resort Municipality of Whistler and Whistler Blackcomb.

The live tracker will help venue managers optimize their use of electricity while tracking and displaying energy and greenhouse gas savings achieved as result of Power Smart building and operating practices.

“The 2010 Winter Games will not only showcase B.C.'s leadership in clean energy but also draw attention to our world-leading conservation programs," said Blair Lekstrom, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources for the Province of B.C. “Thanks to energy-efficiency measures that have been implemented at 2010 Winter Games venues and associated sites, through Power Smart programs, the venues are expected to save approximately 18 gigawatt hours of electricity--enough to power more than 1,600 homes for an entire year.”

Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games venues and associated sites participating in the live energy tracking project include the Richmond Olympic Oval, Canada Hockey Place, Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre, South East False Creek Community Centre, Whistler Blackcomb Roundhouse Lodge and snowmaking facilities, and the Olympic and Paralympic Villages, Vancouver and Whistler.

“The energy efficiency measures at the venues, combined with the heightened awareness provided by the online tracker, could save some venues as much as 15 to 20 per cent in energy costs with corresponding reductions in carbon emissions,” said Beverly Van Ruyven, acting BC Hydro president and CEO. “We have worked to build efficiency and conservation into the design of many new venues and have made retrofits to a number of existing buildings that will continue to contribute to our province’s conservation goals long after the Games are over.”

The online energy management software for the venue energy tracking dashboard was developed by B.C.-based Pulse Energy. The software helps measure and verify the effectiveness of retrofits and sustainable attributes in their design and construction. Real-time energy tracking enables facilities to optimize their energy efficiency on an hourly and daily basis. It also enables them to compare their performance to other similar facilities.

“This marks the first time Games venues and associated sites have collected and publicly reported on their energy consumption during Games-time,” said VANOC CEO John Furlong. “Thanks to the commitment of BC Hydro and our 2010 venue partners in Vancouver, Whistler and Richmond, our Games will achieve a high standard of energy performance. This is a legacy that will pay dividends for years to come through ongoing use of these facilities.”

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