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Swimming pool energy consumption takes a dive25 February 2011Perhaps now, more than at any other time in the past, the cost of public services are under the closest scrutiny. No surprise therefore that during one particular energy monitoring exercise, Huntingdon District Council recognised that a relatively modest capital outlay had the potential to save it a great deal of money in the years aheadDuring one of its recent regular energy consumption monitoring exercises, Huntingdonshire District Council sports and leisure services division, One Leisure discovered that the pumps in its swimming pools were consistently using more energy than appeared to be necessary and asked systems integrator Digicon Solutions to investigate.
Digicon’s evaluation of pump installations at swimming pools in Ramsey, Sawtry and Huntingdon found that they had all been sized to provide generous reserve capacity that was not needed under normal operating conditions. The problem was that these pumps were fitted with ordinary single speed starters, which meant that they always operated at full speed, irrespective of demand.
On the basis of its findings, Digicon suggested that fitting variable speed drives, allowing pump operating speed to be matched to demand, would significantly reduce these pools’ energy consumption. The company reminded its principal that the potential for savings in applications of this type was significant. In fact, reducing pump speed by just 25% has the potential to cut energy consumption by almost 60%.
To help One Leisure make a business case for the capital investment in variable speed drives, Digicon prepared a report clearly setting out the project costs and the anticipated savings, and following its submission approval to proceed was readily obtained.
Digicon selected 7.5kW and 4kW Vacon NXL ac variable speed drives as the basis for its control system. These units are dependable, compact and cost-effective, and as they are available in IP54 versions they were easily wall mounted in the swimming pool machine rooms without need for additional enclosures. For this particular application, Digicon modified the drives by fitting them with a day/night selector switch.
Following the drives installation, Digicon’s prediction that the pumps could be run at reduced speed even when the pool was in use, was easily borne out. Moreover, the day/night selector made further savings possible by allowing the pumps to operate at minimum speed when the facility was not in use. Projected savings of £4,500 per year means that One Leisure will now recover the purchase and installation cost of the new drives in just one year – after which, such savings will accrue all the time the drives are in use.
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