Greentech helps rescue public swimming pools from soaring power costs
There is only one way to reduce public pool power consumption without sacrificing user access and comfort: green innovations!
In Europe, public pools are hard hit by soaring energy costs. Each pool tries to find an optimized solution like changing opening hours or quite simply closing. There is really only one way to reduce public pool power consumption without sacrificing user access and comfort - green innovations for pools!
Nonviable solutions that penalize users of public pools
Strangled by a rise in heating costs estimated at €80,000, Leffrinckoucke municipality had no another choice but to close its swimming pool to stay within its budget (1). A drastic solution which heavily penalizes inhabitants. In Trouville-sur-Mer, the outdoor pool reopening date was put back two months to save money (2).
In Belgium, the municipality of Péruwelz decided to add €1 to the admission charge to its outdoor pool (3) and in Germany, threatened by the cutoff of Russian gas supplies, several public pools have lowered their water temperature by one or even two degrees (4).
None of these solutions is ideal, but there does exist one which can sustainably decrease the energy bill without penalizing users: investing in greentech. An expensive solution, but which pays in the long run!
To counter the energy crisis, pools must become ecologically-friendly
As some public pools are becoming obsolescent, many public authorities acted before the gas price hike to invest in less power-consuming alternatives like solar power, geothermics or biomass. And these alternative solutions really do reduce heating bills! Some examples…
In Norway, an ecological public pool switches to solar power
Opened in 2017, the pool in Holmen has solar panels, solar collectors, geothermic wells as well as two heat recovery systems (from waste waters and ventilation). Its solar panels alone cover 12% of the pool’s power needs.
Find out more about this ecological pool
The pool in Bourgoin-Jallieu, France, was the first to seek BEPOS certification
This pool, to be opened in 2022, generates more power than it uses – 2,200 kWhep/sq.m. (kilowatt hours per square meter of ground) per year. Its solar panels produce a third of its power needs, the rest of the economies are produced by a thermal cover, innovative ventilation and a heat recovery system.
In France, a community of communes opts for biomass and geothermics
The Sud Retz Atlantique (Loire-Atlantique), a community of communes, recently decided to counter gas and petrol price hikes by changing the heating systems of its two swimming pools. One will be heated by biomass and the other will by geothermics. The operation is estimated to cost €633,000 excl. taxes, partially subsidized by the Government.
The pool sector is increasingly adopting innovations consuming less mains power. From the heating system to the filtration pump and the use of LED lighting, public pools now have a wide choice of options to drastically reduce their energy bills over time.
Some show astonishing creativity, like the Butte-aux-Cailles pool in Paris heated by a datacenter or the Aspirant Dunant pool which reuses heat from the city’s sewers (see the details here) .
If you too want to reduce your public pool power costs without penalizing your users, come to Piscine Global Europe, discover the latest pool innovations and meet partners who will bring you more ecological solutions. Start by downloading our free ebook about community swimming pool management!
(1) Europe 1: Dans le nord, une piscine ferme à cause... de la hausse du prix de l'énergie
(2) Ouest France: Piscine, éclairage, machines… La mairie de Trouville-sur-Mer veut faire des économies
(3) RTBF: Coût de l’énergie : le prix d’entrée des piscines va-t-il augmenter ?
(4) Express: Drohender Gaslieferstopp Schwimmbäder mit drastischer Maßnahme – so ist die Lage in Köln
© Photo credit: moquai86 / Adobe Stock
