The David Ross Sports Village swimming pool is one of the University’s most energy demanding buildings. But improvements have recently been made that will reduce the environmental impact of its operation.
The building’s large energy use is due to the high temperatures and ventilation rates required. These need to be maintained to avoid excessive evaporation losses from the pool, which can lead to condensation issues. As the pool water is at a constant 28°C, keeping the pool hall air at this temperature, particularly through the winter, is very energy intensive.
University of Nottingham Sport and Forge Leisure have therefore installed a new pool cover for the 25m, eight-lane pool. The use of the cover overnight will minimise evaporation and enable the pool hall temperatures and ventilation rates to be significantly reduced.
Predicted savings
The annual energy cost of the building will reduce by around £9,500, and 54 t CO2 will be saved. This is theequivalent of powering 9 homes for a whole year.
New LED lighting has also been installed to further improve energy efficiencies, saving another 3 t CO2 per year. The long life of LED lamps will reduce the need for replacements and maintenance work, which has an additional positive impact on the University’s carbon footprint.
Posted on Wednesday 16th June 2021