City of Powell River Council has approved purchasing an electric ice edger for Powell River Recreation Complex to replace an aging propane model.
At the council meeting on Thursday, August 15, councillors approved the expenditure of $6,950 for the electric edger, compared to $5,400 for the propane edger. In spite of the higher initial cost, life cycle costs for the electric model are forecast to be lower because propane costs $520 per year for the propane edger as compared to electrical costs of $65 per year for the electric model.
At the Tuesday, August 13, committee of the whole meeting, city sustainability planner Ana Lukyanova said an ice edger is a piece of equipment used along the edges of the ice rink in areas the Zamboni ice-clearing machine cannot reach. She said the existing edger is aging and requires a motor replacement, which is valued at $1,800.
She said this particular equipment purchase is the first time the city’s green equipment policy has been used. According to a report to the committee, all new equipment purchases must be evaluated on a life cycle cost and life cycle greenhouse gas emissions basis.
Lukyanova said while the initial purchase price of the electric edger was higher, if calculating the all-up costs into the nine-year life cycle, the initial price premium for the electric model is more than offset by the operating costs over the nine years.
“Specifically, it is about $2,000 cheaper if you look at the cost over the nine years,” said Lukyanova.
In terms of life cycle emissions, the propane model would have 8,003 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gases, compared to 399 for the electric model.
“Based on this life cycle cost and greenhouse gas emission analysis,” said Lukyanova, “staff requests that funding be allocated from the community works fund for the purchase of an electric ice edger for the recreation complex.”
