SOUTH Tweed Sports is keeping cool this summer - at a 16% lower cost.

Air conditioning contractor Brad Caton has installed a centrifugal cooling system to replace its reciprocal system.

The owner of Caton's Refrigeration and Air-conditioning said the club has also improved its lighting while "tightening" its cooling costs.

"They're not wasting energy, and using it only when they need to be," Mr Caton said.

"It's thanks to the club's initiative to control it better which has achieved this result."

Operations manager Adam Thompson said the savings would make a "big impact".

"With the increasing price of electricity, it makes the cost about the same.

"I'd hate to be paying the increased prices with the old system in place."

Mr Thompson said improved lighting cost $3000 to install, had a three year warranty, and would save the club $3000 per year.

"So we've got three years of energy saving, and with a bit of luck they'll last longer."

Mr Caton said centrifugal technology had a greater impact on compressor efficiency than the pistons used in a reciprocal machine.

The new system also takes up less space and creates less noise.

"With a machine that uses centrifugal force, you can alter the speed a lot more to suit the building load.

"It's got a lot more capacity control than the reciprocal system, which is quite simply outdated," he said.

The refrigeration and air conditioning specialist of 17 years said a combination of "zone temperatures, start and stop times, building insulation and controlling the ingress of hot air" contributed to the club's stellar energy efficiency.

"I'm absolutely proud of both the environmental and financial savings of the system.

"Environmental conservation's the driving force behind it all.

"People are much more motivated by the environmental point-of-view (than they used to be)," Mr Caton said.

CEO Gordon Rhodes said air conditioning contributed to 50% of the club's total electricity costs, which made the upgrade "vital".

"The club would have accepted 7.5%, was hoping for 10% and the annual reduction of 16% was an outstanding result," Mr Rhodes said.