Golf Environment Organization

A consensus now exists within the global community that human activities are the main source of climate change, and that the burning of fossil fuels is largely responsible for driving this change.

This encapsulates the inextricable link between climate change and human activities such as deforestation but also, and in particular, the generation and consumption of energy derived through the combustion of fossil fuels. The consensus is that the emissions as a result of burning fossil fuels, carbon dioxide as well as other green house gases, have resulted in a rapid increase in temperatures over the last 100 years that is far out of proportion to the previous 900 years.

The movement away from fossil fuel provision and a carbon based economy may well pose a significant challenge to business development, but it should be recognised that not only is this crucial in safe-guarding our environment and personal wellbeing, it is also vital in ensuring golf facility businesses function effectively and profitably within an increasingly regulated, volatile, and costly energy future.

With increasing prices and carbon taxes in the pipeline, improved energy efficiency across the golf facility presents a great opportunity to save money and reduce carbon footprint

Most golf facilities could save energy across their operations with a few simple actions, none of which need take a lot of time or money. When purchasing equipment that uses energy, you can often influence both the type of energy it will consume, and / or its energy efficiency. Whilst an energy-efficient piece of equipment may cost more to buy, if it uses less energy throughout its life this will lead to long-term cost savings.

More ambitious initiatives are likely to become increasingly cost-effective as technology progresses and government policies and taxes start to kick in. Some endeavours may attract funding from relevant grant schemes or income from surplus power supplied to the national grid. Whether aspirations are modest or ambitious, a systematic plan of action is the key to success.

When designing new clubhouses or major refurbishments, architects should be asked to give high priority to energy efficiency criteria, notably choice of materials, heating, lighting, insulation, ventilation, refrigeration and exposure to prevailing winds and solar gain. The design elements will vary significantly between hot and cold climates but should prioritise the principles of passive heating and cooling over reliance on supplementary energy sources.

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