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SPN DEC 2010 CarbonFootprint
www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk THE CARBON IMPACT
Energy consumption and carbon reduction themes are not going away. Specialist manufacturers and suppliers are convinced there’s more to be done to market more environmentally better products to pool owners to increase sales – and to put the whole trade in a better light
s there more the swimming pool industry should be doing to make itself more eco friendly and reduce its ‘carbon footprint’? Swimming pools are not, generally, the most environmentally friendly item. Lots of chemicals to clean them, all the energy to heat them and keep the pumps running, all the water used to fill them ... not the most climate-friendly lifestyle choice. The message about choices and options in the design of swimming pools that can help reduce the resulting carbon footprint is stronger than it ever was but manufacturers and suppliers of specialist energy saving products still believe there is a lot more to be achieved from taking a stronger line on marketing the carbon reduction theme to pool owners.
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One of 45 Park Resort sites now benefiting from the Heatsavr liquid pool cover system
pool owners are realising Heatsavr’s benefits. Whilst Bob accepts for most residential pool owners, who only use their pool for an hour a day, a conventional cover may perform better, a liquid pool cover is great for those that prefer the aesthetics of an apparently uncovered pool and who would normally leave a conventional cover off for long periods, or for irregular shaped pools where a conventional cover would simply be impractical. Based on the current UK volumes it is estimated that Heatsavr alone
Bob White of Heatsaver believes the simplest and most cost effective
method of reducing CO2 emissions relating to swimming pools is to use a molecular liquid pool cover, which is cheap to install and run but offers a high return on investment. For most pools the cost of the dosing equipment should be amortised within a few months, with the cost of the Heatsavr liquid being funded directly from savings. Bob points out that whilst “instantaneously” a liquid cover may not be as effective as a conventional cover, with commercial pools which can only be covered when the pool is closed, or for any pool where a conventional cover may be left off for long periods, then a liquid pool cover may actually perform better over a 24 hour period. Having firmly established its credentials in the commercial market, more and more residential
could now be responsible for reducing CO2 emissions by more than 10,000 tonnes per annum and as more and more pool operators appreciate its benefits this figure is set to rise.
When it comes to more traditional swimming pool covers, Plastica supply two high performance cover materials here in the UK. EnergyGuard and Sol+Guard both help the commercial and domestic pool owner become greener. Both provide the benefits of reduced heating costs and lower water consumption but the EnergyGuard cover material also eliminates swimming pool algae and saves money by using up to 60% less pool chemicals, whilst the Sol+Guard material has a unique clear top surface and a translucent tinted underside which enables it to maximise solar gain, increasing the temperature of a pool by up to 8°C.
UK pools are wasting thousands of pounds and enlarging their carbon footprint by unnecessarily removing and replacing filtration media. That’s the message from Gaffey Technical Services Ltd, which has devised the unique, patented DesoClenz system to thoroughly cleanse and disinfect silica sand, activated carbon and glass based filter media in situ. Manufactured exclusively by Gaffey Technical Services Ltd, the system uses a TCDO liquid agent to break down body fats and calcium deposits from the sand, leaving the media in ‘as new’ condition.
This smarter, faster way of ensuring clean filter media eliminates the costly, lengthy and problematic dig out, disposal and replacement of filter media every few years. The treatment can be carried out in a matter of hours, in most cases without closure or disruption to the operation of a swimming pool. Andrew Gaffey, Director at Gaffey Technical Services said: “Filter ‘silica
sand’ is extremely hard wearing and doesn’t wear out, so removing and replacing it every few years is totally unnecessary when the filter vessel itself is in generally good condition. All pools need to do is remove the contaminants that have built up on the sand.
“On average, the DesoClenz system can save pools over 50% on the cost of replacing filter media. It makes a particularly attractive proposition to local authority and private commercial pool operators who are now looking hard at ways to reduce their operating and maintenance costs as well as their carbon footprint.
“Disposal of several tonnes of sand by lorry to landfill has a substantial environmental impact. Supplying an average of 12 tonnes of new filter media to 2,500 local authority pools would require 750 fully laden 40 tonne trucks, 30,000 pallets and 1.2 million plastic sacks, not to mention the disposal of the redundant sand – that’s a substantial carbon footprint that could easily be significantly reduced.”
Working with nature to heat a domestic or commercial pool is a sure fire way of reducing energy bills – and your carbon footprint in the process.
Golden Coast has environmentally- friendly heating systems that can either fully heat a pool during the season and/or provide supplementary heating throughout the year. As well as the established range of Calorex air source heat pumps designed specifically for the domestic pool market, Golden Coast also supplies the Calorex ‘Pro- Pac’, a newly launched range of commercial sector outdoor air-to-
By Alan Lewis
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