SWIMMING POOLS | INSULATION Making the case to save energy at a stroke Improved insulation in wet leisure centres not only cuts heat loss through walls and windows, but also allows swimming pools to operate at a higher relative humidity, resulting in energy savings as ventilation rates are reduced. Dee Associates Mike Hancock explains P eople of all ages enjoy going to the swimming pool for sport, therapy and recreation. However, energy use in wet leisure centres and hotels with indoor pools is often higher than expected. This is because a lot of energy is used to heat the pool water to a comfortable temperature, and this gives rise to quite high levels of evaporation into the air of the pool hall. Ventilation is used extensively to remove the damp air and so prevent damaging condensation on cold surfaces, but the net effect is to remove the energy from the building as waste latent heat. For many designers and operators, obtaining the best results is something of a black art. We became involved in helping to reduce the energy use in leisure centres and swimming pools several years ago. Some were very well run and had the latest equipment, but, in others, we came across a number of common problems. We witnessed numerous cases of CHP engines either broken down and abandoned, or requiring heat to be discharged from rooftop radiator panels in summer to meet contractual operational demands. Other observations included the relatively poor design and condition of the buildings, especially of older properties, with many showing the ruinous impact of condensation on structural steelwork. Undaunted by the challenges, we decided to try to model them, because we needed to be able to was generally because no-one understood how to control it and no-one was willing to take the risk of tampering with the settings. Doors and windows were often left open and warm, moist air penetrated well beyond the pool hall. Pool covers,which are meant to reduce evaporation overnight, were not used, and heat-pump energy-recovery systems remained unrepaired and out of service. were recommending. Swimming-pool modelling conventional dry buildings, we found the 48 October 2021 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Oct21 pp48-50 Energy savings swimming pools Supp.indd 48 24/09/2021 15:24