Seminar explains benefits of heat pumps in aquatic centres

Delegates at a recent seminar held at the soon-to-be-redeveloped North Sydney Olympic Pool have heard of the potential for ammonia-based water-to-water heat pumps to significantly reduce energy usage in commercial aquatic centres

Renewable Energy Consultant and past Australasian Leisure Management contributor Derek Harbison, of Queensland-based energy consultancy firm SmartConsult, compared the use of heat pumps to more traditional solutions used today, such as gas boilers and resistance heating, advising that the "benefits derived from the electrical energy input into the heat pump is doubled that of existing technologies."

He told delegates at the seminar, held last Friday (15th November), "this is not new technology: these systems have been in use in Europe for over 15 years not only in aquatic centres but also in ice skating rinks, supermarkets, cold stores, air conditioning systems and factories.

“What is being done in Europe with heat pumps is the future."

The seminar was also addressed by representatives from system suppliers Johnson Controls and Scantec Refrigeration Technologies.

Scantec Managing Director Stefan Jensen spoke about how low-charge ammonia water-to-water heat pumps could work and perform in the Australian climate, adding “the payback of a low charge ammonia heat pump would be under five years."

Harbison also spoke at ATMOsphere Australia 2019, which took place on in Melbourne in May, about how water-to-water heat pumps can significantly reduce energy use in aquatics centres.

His article Stretching the Energy Dollar, appeared in Australasian Leisure Management issue 131.

Image: North Sydney Olympic Pool.