AUGUSTA, GA (July 30, 2009) – In the face of mounting energy costs, some courses are not standing idly by while their electric meter churns. The Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Course in Hong Kong recently became the world’s first golf facility and the Sebonack Golf Club in Southhampton, N.Y., the first U.S. golf club to power their entire golf car fleets with solar energy. Both courses are using the SolarDrive system, which is part of Club Car Solutions Network.
A study of energy use by the Golf Resource Group recently concluded that most golf courses use between 250,000 and 5 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity in their annual operations. At the high end, that’s equivalent to the amount of electricity used in 278 2,500-square-foot houses, according to the report from the Phoenix-based research firm.
“Power costs are very expensive here on Long Island and are getting more expensive around the world,” said Michael Pascucci, owner of the Sebonack GC, which is ranked No. 7 in Golfweek’s 100 Best Modern Courses and No. 39 in Golf Digests’s America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses. “Why not take advantage of the free solar power we have on earth?”
But reducing the charging requirements for the club’s 40 golf cars and lowering its electric bill isn’t the only reason Pascucci invested in the solar canopies, which are sold as an option on Club Car golf cars. (The canopies are priced from $2,700, but tax incentives can lower the cost by approximately 30 percent.).
“We penciled it out and concluded we were going to get our money back pretty easily,” said Pascucci, who first saw the solar canopy system while playing golf with Ernie Els in Jupiter, Fla., last winter. “But even if the numbers weren’t as strong as they are, I still would have done it.”
Pascucci thinks Sebonack members will be impressed that their club is going green.
“I think it’s really a positive thing for our members and their guests to see that they’re not using any energy while they’re riding around on the sun’s power. It makes a statement,” Pascucci said.
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The price of SolarDrive panels (normally $2,700) often can be defrayed by approximately 30 percent with tax incentives. For information about tax credits and incentives when purchasing products that promote energy efficiency through solar technologies, go to www.dsireusa.org/solar.
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The SolarDrive-equipped golf cars capture and convert daylight into sufficient energy to power the vehicles year-round, even on cloudy days. Pascucci calls the system “a major industry innovation.”
The solar-cell roof panels installed on 40 cars at Sebonack and on 205 cars at The Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course were designed and engineered by SolarDrive, a Denmark-based firm specializing in off-grid, solar technology for mobile use. SolarDrive and Club Car entered a marketing alliance earlier this year to promote solar energy.
“SolarDrive and Club Car have provided us with what we believe is a smart solution that makes both environmental sense and good business sense, too,” said Cameron Halliday, general manager at The Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau, the only public course in Hong Kong.
Peter Randow, managing partner of SolarDrive, estimates the Jockey Club will reduce carbon emissions by up to 30 metric tons per year as a result of the fleet’s reduced power consumption requirements. Consumption of grid electricity for the fleet will be reduced by 50 to 75 percent and the cars’ battery life also may be extended, Randow added.
The high-profile nature of Sebonack and Jockey Club and their decisions to go all solar are expected to lead other courses to evaluate the technology, according to Mike Read, marketing director for Club Car’s golf car category. “The need to conserve energy as a means of lowering costs combined with more widespread environmental awareness makes solar energy an attractive strategy for many courses,” he said. “We think we’ll see more courses here and in other parts of the world take a serious look at solar.”
About Club Car
Club Car, a business of Ingersoll-Rand Company Limited, a diversified industrial firm, Honors the Game in its service to customers and support of the golf industry. Club Car is the exclusive premier partner of the National Golf Course Owners Association in the U.S. and NGCOA Canada’s exclusive Golf Car Supplier and Platinum Partner. Club Car is also a sponsor of the European Golf Course Owners Association, a Silver Partner of the GCSAA and a Corporate Advantage Partner of the Club Managers Association of America. It is the Official Supplier of Golf Cars and Utility Vehicles to the 2010 Ryder Cup, the Official Golf Car and Golf Utility Vehicle and an Official Sponsor of the PGA European Tour, the official supplier of golf cars and utility vehicles to PGA Tournament Players Clubs, and leading sponsor of the PGA Professional National Championship, The First Tee and the Executive Women’s Golf Association.
Club Car provides fleet, turf, hospitality and financing solutions for golf, agricultural, recreational and industrial markets. For more information on Club Car, go to www.clubcar.com. Based in Augusta, Ga., Club Car is part of the Industrial Technologies sector of Ingersoll-Rand plc. Ingersoll Rand (NYSE: IR) is a global diversified firm providing products, services and solutions to enhance the quality and comfort of air in homes and buildings, transport and protect food and perishables, secure homes and commercial properties and increase industrial productivity and efficiency. Driven by a 100-year-old tradition of technological innovation, we enable our customers to create progress and a positive impact in their world. For more information, go to www.ingersollrand.com.
About SolarDrive
SolarDrive is a Danish company that specializes in applied solar technology primarily for mobile use. It develops highly efficient solar products for electric vehicles and off-grid solar powered products. SolarDrive equipped vehicles are capable of transferring between 180-360 watts of energy to a vehicle’s battery system. This results in carbon free charging and driving and considerable additional range between charges in typical applications. Financial benefits include: lower electricity costs, lower battery costs due to extended battery life through continuous charging and, at some courses, increased revenue opportunities from the improved rental capacity of the carts. For more information visit: www.solardrive.com .
Contact:
Mike Read, Club Car
(800) 227-0739 (Ext. 2615), mike_read@clubcar.com
Bill Bryant, Bryant Marketing Communications
(678) 366-3232, bbryant@bryantmarcomm.com
