Building enclosures account for more than 50% of all energy consumed in the world, and this consumption comes in two forms: embodied energy, which is consumed when making and assembling buildings, and the energy that is generated when operating buildings after construction.
ENERGY CHALLENGES
The biggest energy challenges on club properties come from clubhouses, many of which date back a century or more and remain outfitted with antiquated and inefficient heating, cooling and electrical systems run by poor controls (or none at all). Replacement HVAC systems for these buildings can cost millions of dollars to buy and install, and this step is usually taken only when they are on the brink of failure and if adequate replacement reserves have been allocated for this purpose. Another approach is to try installing new, computerized controls to help reduce the amount of energy used by dated equipment. But these often fail to be properly monitored to keep the systems they are controlling operating more efficiently and catch malfunctioning systems in a timely fashion. Real energy savings only occur when systems are designed, installed, operated and maintained consistently and properly.
The primary driver for energy conservation initiatives undertaken by clubs will always be saving operating money, followed by improving the comfort of current members. A secondary interest will be to save the planet and help to attract the next generation of new members.
In the past, it was seen as a nice goal to save operating money by having a more efficient and cost-saving clubhouse. But these initiatives usually never got off the ground once a club saw it had to spend a million dollars in construction to save $10,000 a year in energy costs.
SHIFTING PRIORITIES
As their memberships have swelled post-pandemic, clubs are taking a renewed look at the need to upgrade their facilities and infrastructures so they can properly handle the increased long-range usage and demand that is projected. This has led to greater emphasis on building up, setting aside and using asset reserves to not only fund ongoing repairs and mainte- nance, but also plan major facility infrastructure projects on five- and 10-year cycles.
Clubs are gaining greater access to construction funds that can be used to update the energy consuming infrastruc- tures of clubhouses, making it easier to justify spending
$100,000 or so on upgrades of HVAC, electric and plumbing systems that can generate energy and water-related savings of $10,000 to $20,000 a year, and to do so without the need for large member assessments.
While the best route to operating truly efficient buildings is to build entirely new clubhouses with all of the latest energy and water-saving technology, that is still largely the exception in the club industry. Of the last 1,000 or so clubhouse projects our group has helped plan and get approved, only a very small percentage—barely 1%—have involved new buildings. The reality is that for most clubs, pursuing energy-saving goals calls for renovations within existing structures.
A NEW PARTNERSHIP
McMahon Group is now partnering with Talisen Technologies, which specializes in designing and implementing solutions for monitoring and reducing energy consumption, to help clubs identify their best paths for maximizing the savings that could be gained from upgrading their infrastructure technology. Tied to McMahon’s “First Impressions” service that provides observations and recommendations at no cost beyond travel reimbursement, this partnership will make an energy specialist available to help clubs execute a comprehensive energy-consumption study, identify a master “energy opportunity plan,” and recommend and prioritize improvements through a feasibility analysis for the scope of work that could be considered. This service could eventually be extended to include helping clubs work with local mechanical, electrical and plumbing companies and building architects to transfer energy-savings recommendations to design documents and contractors for implementation.
More details about the latest available energy-saving technology and services, including case-history examples of its application at club facilities, will be described as part of a presentation on “Energy Management for Club Facilities and How It Affects Construction, Operating Cost and Attracting New Members” that will be held on February 28 as part of the Club Management Association of America Conference in Orlando, Fla.