Contact Congratulates Innovation Award Winner

Contact Energy Congratulates Innovation Award Winner

Contact Energy congratulated Gore Multisport Centre - the winner of the Contact Energy Innovation Award at last night’s Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority’s 2004 EnergyWise Awards.

Gore District Council and Ice Sports Southland’s winning entry combined an ice rink needing cooling with a swimming pool needing heating. By locating the two facilities side-by-side and employing a sophisticated energy flow process from engineering consultants MWH New Zealand, the Centre uses 14 percent less energy than originally estimated.

Contact Energy Chief Executive Stephen Barrett said Contact Energy was proud to support innovation in energy efficiency through the award. “The winning entry is an innovative energy solution that has achieved significant energy savings within the extremes of the Southland climate. The design is also a first for New Zealand.”

The combination of heating and cooling processes removes an estimated 500 megawatt hours of demand from the national grid. That amount of energy is equivalent to 310 tonnes of carbon dioxide – one of the greenhouses gases linked to climate change.

Mr Barrett said Contact’s support for the award reflected its commitment to assisting New Zealand meet its energy needs in an increasingly fuel-scarce environment. “As we look ahead, incentives to use power wisely will only intensify. Energy efficiency will be a vital contribution to managing our future energy demand.”

The Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority’s EnergyWise Contact Energy Innovation Award recognises services, products or projects in end use energy efficiency or renewable energy.

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