H5710 - Okawa Bay Lake Resort - Bay of Plenty Region
Summary
The Okawa Bay Lake Resort has made large savings in the heating
of its outdoor swimming pool, by modifying its heating system.
$14,000 was invested in making the changes; pool heating costs
have subsequently been cut from $20,000 to $3,900 per annum,
giving a payback period of nearly 11 months. Savings have
also been made in water consumption by installing new rose
shower heads in the rooms. Waste materials are collected and
recycled.
Business Profile
The Resort is owned by Apton Investments. It has 45 rooms
plus 15 timeshare units, restaurant, bar and conference facilities.
It employs 20 full time and 50 part time staff.
Type of Project
Energy efficiency, reduction in water use, resource recovery,
waste reduction.
Reasons for Project
Savings were wanted in a number of areas.
The Project
Swimming Pool Heating
| Details |
The swimming pool is situated outdoors and is heated
all year round. This was expensive to heat. Therefore,
the Resort management consulted Rotorua Electricity
for assistance in changing the heating system.
Metering was installed, the switchboard modified, and
an 18 kilowatt carrier pump installed. The heat pump
is supplemented by immersion elements in winter on the
Economy "8" night rate. This operates from 11pm to 7am.
Meters relocated in a new switchboard also give a choice
of pricing options.
|
| Economics |
The total cash outlay for
installation was $14,000. Heating costs for the pool have
been cut from $20,000 to $3,900 per annum. This gives
a payback period of just under 11 months. |
| Benefits |
Energy used in heating the
pool has been substantially reduced. |
| Problems |
With the high initial cost
of this energy saving project, the figure had to give
a short payback before the project proceeded. |
Water use
| Details |
Old shower heads were replaced
with new water saving shower roses. |
| Economics |
Before the installation of
the new rose shower heads, the showers were using up to
16 litres of water per minute. This has been reduced to
about 8 litres. The Resort estimates that there is a 10%
savings in water with the new shower roses. |
| Benefits |
This project has helped to
reduce the amount of hot water that is used, saving on
both water and energy. Problems: The cost of the project
was a factor in deciding to proceed. |
Materials recycling and reuse
| Details |
All food waste from the kitchen
is taken to pig farms. All cooking oils and fats are recycled.
Used oil from vehicles is collected and sent for recycling.
Staff are encouraged to use scrap paper on both sides,
which reduces the amount of paper being used. |
| Economics |
The whole waste disposal programme
is being looked into as a higher than budgeted occupancy
rate has increased waste materials in general. |
| Benefits |
The amount of wastes being
sent to landfill is reduced. Resources are being reused
or recycled. |
| Problems |
As the Resort is a distance
from town, there is a problem with storing oils and fats
until there is sufficient to warrant a trip to collect
them. |
Waste water treatment
| Details |
The Resort does not have access
to the Rotorua town water supply, nor the waste water
treatment facilities. An extended activated sludge waste
water treatment plant was built to treat all effluent
from the Resort on site. The raw untreated effluent is
gathered in an underground chamber and pumped to the treatment
plant to be processed. Here it is mixed with a biomass
of premixed liquid containing micro-organisms. It then
settles out in the final chamber. The treated effluent
is transferred to the dosing chamber, pumped through sand
beds for a final "polish", and then dissipated through
reducing pipes set in gravel beds to evaporate into the
air. The sludge from the plant is held in a 24,000 litre
(5000 gallon) tank which, when full, is transported by
tanker to the waste water treatment plant operated by
the Rotorua District Council. The treatment plant is monitored
by the Rotorua District Council every three months. Copies
of the tests are forwarded to the Bay of Plenty Regional
Council. |
| Benefits |
The plant prevents the discharge
of waste water into the lake. |
| Problems |
There was a problem in choosing
the site so that it was close enough to the Resort to
be effective, but far enough away for the odours not to
interfere with the comfort of the guests. |
Applicability to other businesses
The initiatives adopted are applicable to any business in
the hotel/hospitality industry.
For additional information contact:
John Knight Duty
Manager
Okawa Bay Lake Resort
Lake Rotoiti
ROTORUA
Phone:07 362-4599
Fax:07 362-4594
|
