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A heated pool consumes a large amount of energy, both in electricity and fossil fuels (diesel or natural gas).
Furthermore, meeting the international agreements on reducing greenhouse gases is an objective that can only be achieved by collective efforts within each of our areas of responsibility.
Saving energy in heated pools and reducing their CO2 emissions are two attainable short-term goals. Achieving these requires a shift in mindset for facility operators who must adopt energy-efficient heating and dehumidification technologies.
Replacing pool dehumidification and climate control technologies is affordable when selecting efficient equipment that reduces energy consumption, making it financially viable in the short term.
5 KEYS TO SAVING ENERGY IN A HEATED POOL
When we talk about heating a pool, we refer to two distinct actions: dehumidifying and heating the pool environment. Achieving this requires “2-in-1” technologies that perform both functions:
- Dehumidifiers that maintain ambient humidity within regulatory and thermal comfort parameters. According to the RITE (Regulations on Thermal Installations in Buildings), public heated pools must maintain an ambient humidity below 65%.
- Heat pumps, boilers, electric or solar energy: their purpose is to heat the environment. According to RITE, public heated pools should be maintained at a temperature 1-2°C higher than that of the pool water, with a maximum of 30°C.
Various technologies are available to achieve this, but our recommendations are as follows:
1. Technology focused on energy recovery
We should move away from the outdated “brute force” method using compressors to an energy recovery-oriented technology. This includes complementary active and passive dehumidification systems, providing the greatest drying capacity with minimal consumption:
- Active dehumidification
- Heat exchange and condensation in recovery units
- Replacement with outdoor air
2. Heat pump: the best option for heating
The heat pump harnesses natural energy (air, water, or earth) and transports it indoors to warm spaces. Optimizing the heat pump’s refrigeration circuit design (including refrigerant selection) is essential to maximize performance and minimize heating costs. The ideal setup is a heat pump specifically designed for each service: heating water for fan coils, pool water heating, high-temperature services, etc. This approach ensures maximum efficiency.
3. Energy recovery
Energy recovery units are essential for energy efficiency. This includes air-to-air exchangers integrated into dehumidifying heat pumps. When combined in a regenerative refrigeration circuit, they make the equipment highly efficient both economically and energetically. Water heat recovery units, such as those that capture heat from refrigeration condensation, can provide a significant and completely free heat source in summer.
4. Monitoring and control
An integrated control system is necessary to maintain balance among the equipment’s various functions according to climate conditions and operational demands. Through this control system, it’s possible to view and adjust machine parameters and monitor it from any computer or mobile device (phone, tablet, etc.).
5. Maintenance
Two factors help reduce technician supervision time required for optimal machine operation:
- An effective, communicable control system capable of optimizing the operation of dehumidifier subsystems (compressors, recovery system, “free-drying”…)
- Heat pumps
Other elements reduce maintenance hours, including effective machine status monitoring (filtration, flow rate, refrigeration pressures) and the insight provided by operational history logs.
Ultimately, we should embrace energy-efficient methods for dehumidifying and heating indoor pools. How? By choosing technology that continuously evolves and is based on utilizing outdoor air and saving energy.
HRU EQUIPMENT: HIGH EFFICIENCY FOR HEATED POOLS
The Borealis HRU range includes dehumidifier conditioners for indoor pools, using a combination of passive and active dehumidification systems for maximum energy efficiency.
These units are direct expansion air-to-air heat pumps with static and refrigeration energy recovery through a regenerative circuit. HRU units are distinguished by their ability to perform dehumidification via three complementary systems: active dehumidification, heat exchange in recovery units, and outdoor air replacement. The combination of these systems offers high drying capacity with minimal consumption.
Borealis offers various lines of dehumidifying heat pumps for indoor pools with capacities ranging from 4 to 140 kg/h, serving applications from residential pools and small spas to high-powered machines for public pools and sports centers. In all cases, Borealis dehumidifiers are efficient, durable machines equipped with the latest in energy recovery and savings technologies. All models feature an electronic control that connects to the Internet for remote management at minimal cost.
