It’s been a pretty eye opening year for our household, we’ve had some amazing ambassador and partnership opportunities that has led us to making more green lifestyle choices at home, the office and has encouraged us to be more conscious and aware of the impact we are making with those choices.
We’ve learned the ins and outs of recycling batteries of all shapes and sizes and we were graciously invited to be ambassadors for the Healthy Family Expo, we have filled our cups with so much knowledge on how we can lower our carbon footprint and leave our world in a much better way then we found it for our kids and really, what excuse do we have to not do our absolute best for them?
When we were approached to learn more about REALice Canada, I was definitely interested. We’re from the West Coast and like most Canadians, we eat, breathe and sleep hockey during the on season and we dream about it during the off. As soon as Alivia was old enough to tackle the ice, we had her on it!
Ice Skating is a Canadian right of passage, from hockey, figure skating to speed skating chances are at one point or another every Canadian kid has spent some time on the ice. Hockey moms know, the relationships fostered in these team environments are amazing for creating lasting bonds, friendships and a healthy body image through exercise and training. Alivia took to skating immediately, we started with rental skates and within 2 days on the ice she had her own pair of hockey skates and was off! We’re very lucky to live pretty close to some rinks that are open year round, so we’ve been loving this time with her.
One thing we weren’t aware of though was just how much energy it takes to create that beautiful, crisp, see through ice that we are all so accustomed to. We were shocked to learn that the ice for most indoor rinks is created and maintained using extremely hot water – 70°C and even more! All that, just to take care of some air bubbles that give you a smoother surface. Ice made with air bubbles in it is fragile, brittle, cracks very easily and quickly becomes uneven, making it less than ideal for any skater.
REALice® is a technology helping ice arenas around the world save money, emissions and the environment. With this technology, less energy is needed, the return on investment is real, the savings are substantial and REALice creates hard and resilient ice.
So, WHY is REALice important? Rinks use a lot of energy, and a lot of water each season – to the tune of 1.5 – 1.7 million liters each season. Combine this with needing to heat the water with boilers working overtime, compressors needed for cooling, an ice rink requires and uses some major energy resources. You’d probably be shocked to know that your local arena may be one of the biggest expenses your community has in it’s budget – all to maintain that ice we all love.
The REALice system replaces the need for hot water, removing those air bubbles to create an even, glossy, clear surface while using a significant less amount of energy, all while helping to create a better quality ice. The return on the investment is real, and not just monetarily either.
Key benefits REALice provides rink owners:
• Less use of compressors and boilers
• Less use of dehumidifiers
• Less rust on structural beams
• Less water used and wasted
• Verified natural gas consumption reduction of 79%
• Average reduction in electricity of 12%
• Average savings of about $1,000 to $1,200 per month
In addition to these savings, REALice is maintenance free and no extra energy, sources, or systems are needed. It’s an immediate improvement in ice quality and costs. It’s greener and better for the environment.
REALice is world recognized technology that allows rinks to make their ice more efficiently. Yet, it isn’t being used in enough rinks, with over 3,000 ice sheets in Canada the amount of energy we could be saving is mind blowing! So why aren’t we? In February Florian Gabriel shared some insight with Macleans about the misconception that Ice can in fact go green, the statistics are there so let’s help spread the word and get more of our local rinks on board with Going Rink Green!
If you’re not sure if your rink is using REALice, feel free to ask! It’s the perfect opportunity to open a line of communication about lowering their energy consumption and helping support their community, helping future generations and saving our planet. Local rinks can rent REALice to test it out and you can feel great knowing you’ve made a real difference in helping to lower the energy usage in your city – win!
Learn more about REALice
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{Disclosure: I am part of the REALice influencer campaign with Thrifty Mom Media, I was compensated for sharing this information with you however all opinions, experiences and love of going green are my own and not influenced by the sponsor. Skate on!}
