Former offshore electrical expert makes the switch from sea to pool

Kit Learie, Senior Electrical Technician

Powermaster has appointed Kit Learie as senior electrical technician. Learie’s knowledge of complex chemicals is set to enrich Powermaster’s mix of energy management skills for leisure centres and spas.

Learie’s previous experience includes electrical contracting for Power Supply Northwest (PSN) Ltd. During his time there, he was involved in electrical installations, audits and lighting design on offshore rigs and in domestic applications.

Powermaster’s new member of staff brings a combination of commercial, industrial and domestic know-how, which enables him to effectively contribute to Powermaster’s energy saving and chemical management strategies. Learie is certified to carry out electrical installations in complex chemical and explosive areas.

Learie will bring with him a fresh perspective on energy saving and his main responsibilities will include programming variable speed drives (VSDs) and pool management.

“It’s the small changes that have the biggest impacts on our planet,” Learie is keen to explain. “I’ve seen first-hand the negative consequences of high energy consumption on the environment as well as on our pockets. I believe VSD technology is a game changer in the electrical industry; it modularises energy efficiency, making it accessible to anyone who has the good sense to want it.”

Learie is also a music enthusiast who loves playing the guitar, song-writing and listening to indie and heavy metal bands such as Muse and Smashing Pumpkins. He also enjoys reading and playing golf.

Energy for pools specialist appoints engineer and keen environmentalist in senior technical role

Nathan Mansbridge, Senior Pool Technician

Energy for pool specialist Powermaster has appointed Nathan Mansbridge as senior pool technician, to help manage the company’s expert support team. Mansbridge plans to raise awareness of energy saving technologies in the UK pool, leisure and spa industries.

Mansbridge started his career as a swimming pool manager and, thanks to his understanding and passion for the industry, went on to win accreditation from the Technical Institute of Swimming Pool Engineers. In his new role at Powermaster he will provide expertise on chemical control, filtration and mixing systems.

Furthermore, Mansbridge will take responsibility for advising on and auditing energy management for pools, spas and leisure centres. He will also be focussed on educating pool staff and improving awareness of variable speed drives (VSDs) and integrated water and energy management systems (IWEMS).

“I hope to be a good trainer, who can inspire and build up on the level of knowledge leisure facility staff already have,” Mansbridge enthused. “My goal is to educate people and make sure they have the right tools to make competent, cost effective decisions. My job is to help them spot problems before they become really serious and then help rectify those issues. This way we ensure that health and safety is observed for everyone using the pool or spa,” he continued.

Mansbridge enjoys hiking and bushcrafting in this spare time, which allows him to be close to nature, relax and further develop his outdoor and survival skills.

VSDs in pools – much more than just HVAC

Variable Speed Drives for pool application

It’s not uncommon to hear about people fitting variable speed drives in the buildings that house swimming pools to control HVAC, elevation or solar panels. However, the unique nature of a building containing a 50 metre pool of water that needs to be constantly refreshed, presents a far more interesting challenge for the control engineer. Here, Geoff Renshaw, a director of Powermaster the energy saving technology specialist for pools and spas, explains how a typical pool can reduce its energy bill by up 82% using nothing more than clever engineering.

Before I go on, I should stress that 82% is the record energy saving that Powermaster has provided. It was achieved by combining the effects of variable speed drives, voltage optimisation, heat recovery, remote monitoring and our trademarked IWEMs (Integrated Water and Energy Management) solution in a single application. However, energy savings of 40% are very, very common and it is far from inconceivable that we will repeat or better our 82% record in the medium term future.

The key to making swimming pools more efficient is to fit drives on the motor powering the pool circulation pump itself, not just on the motors in the rest of the building. In many swimming pools the VSD is set manually to decrease the motors speed during the day by 10% and during the evening by 20%. Stepping back to control engineering basics and the ‘power cubed’ law, a speed decrease of 10% produces an average energy saving of about 27.1%. So, during the day, at 90% speed, the load only requires approximately 73% per cent of maximum power and during the evening at 80% it only requires 48%. In essence a relatively small speed change produces a large fall in the energy usage.

As an added bonus, the motor will require less maintenance, because it is no longer running constantly at full speed. This can be a big benefit in a swimming pool, where maintenance often means closure and motors are difficult to reach.

Providing variable speed drives are in place, the use of Powermaster’s IWEMs system can go on to provide even greater energy savings at relatively modest costs. At IWEM’s heart is remote monitoring technology that allows the variable speed drive to control the pump in accordance with the water chemistry of the pool or spa itself. This can be achieved by setting the inverter to control the motor in accordance with the load demand. In a swimming pool, this is calculated in relation to the amount of people in the water, which in turn determines how much chlorine is used. As a result, the chemistry of the water, which can be assessed using a feedback loop from the dosing system, can dictate the behaviour of the inverter. This means that the motor can always run at the slowest required speed, no matter how heavily the pool or spa is being used.

Furthermore, IWEMs can be fine tuned to manage the chemical dosing of the pool or spa, which can in turn lead to further cost reductions – this time in the form of lower expenditure on the chemicals themselves. In effect you are using a simple VSD and some clever stand alone monitoring technology to manage the dosing of the pool.

Furthermore, IWEMs features a completely integrated remote monitoring system that allows the user to view the energy and chemical usage of a swimming pool or spa at the click of a button, via the Internet. This function can also act as a datalogger and an alarming system, sending you an e-mail or text message if there is an urgent event that needs requires attention.

VSDs in pools – explaining the rarity factor
So why do so few companies building and installing pools and spas include variable speed drives as part of their proposal to the building owner? This question is especially pertinent when, in the public sector, a certain degree of energy saving technology is mandatory. Furthermore, why do so few pools and spas make this very small, and often publically funded, capital commitment that will allow them to reduce their expenditure so radically?

My belief is that capital expenditure is prioritised much too highly and operating expenditure is vaguely written off as something that tomorrow’s accountants can deal with.

Let’s look at the example of a variable speed drive controlling the pump or pumps in a swimming pool or spa. The pump is driven by a motor and the entire pump and drive system will cost exponentially more to run during its lifetime than it costs to purchase. A modest addition to the system cost in the form of a variable speed drive, which will control the motor at either pre-set levels or in accordance with the pumps requirements, could reduce the energy bill and thus the lifetime cost of the application by a minimum of 30% in a typical swimming pool or spa application.

As well as finance questions, there is also a cultural and historical issue at play. We have to bear in mind that the swimming pool industry in England is only really 70 years old, having come to fruition in the 1950s. Prior to that, the majority of the pools in the country were the beautiful Victorian structures that campaigners are currently working so hard to save up and down the UK.

The height of technology in older pools was using a massive fan at either end to create water movement and it was felt that the more dynamism in the water the better. The idea that low filtration can actually be the best filtration is relatively new. As a result, using variable speed drives to actually decrease the amount of energy spent on water handling is quite revolutionary in this sector.

Energy saving in Birmingham - two examples in practice
Opened in 1970, Wyndley Leisure Centre is the largest leisure facility of its kind in Birmingham. It boasts a main 25m heated deep water pool for swimming and diving and a separate shallow teaching pool. It also has a 400 metre athletics track, six squash courts, five badminton courts, a gym, an all weather pitch, a children’s playroom and a studio cycling room.

Powermaster’s variable speed drive installation cost only £10,671, including the price of a five year warranty, and saves £3,527 per year, resulting in a payback period of 2.7 years.

Another Birmingham based leisure centre, the Northfield Pool and Fitness Centre has recently undergone a massive refurbishment process. The £3m project included a larger gym, a refitted dance studio and a new sauna and steam suite. Both of the centre’s pools were refitted and the reception area was redesigned. Our part in the project cost just over six thousand pounds and produced a bill reduction of £2,119 per year, resulting in a payback period of just over three years. 

So, next time you read about variable speed drives being installed on a HVAC system in a leisure centre or swimming pool, don’t sit back and chalk up another point for energy saving. In fact, you are reading about a missed opportunity because the motors in the pool itself haven’t been addressed.

Energy for pools specialist Powermaster offers a solution to Redditch Borough Council’s plan to cut costs by using crematorium heat

Typical spa application

Earlier this year, Redditch Borough Council announced plans to recycle waste heat from the town crematorium, which would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. The local authority maintains that this would be an environmentally efficient use of energy that could save £14,000 a year at its Abbey Stadium facility. However, the plans were described as “sick and an insult to local residents" by UNISON. Geoff Renshaw of energy saving technology expert Powermaster argues that Redditch Borough Council’s decision to use excess heat from a crematorium to warm a swimming pool is environmentally laudable but needlessly controversial. Here he presents the alternative energy saving methods that could have calmed the public debate.

There are a number of effective methods for reducing the energy-spend and carbon emissions in leisure centres, swimming pools and spas, which could shrink the costs even more than re-using crematorium heat. For example, variable speed drives can be used to control water pumps, while voltage optimisers can reduce electricity costs and internal heat recovery can decrease heating expenditure.
For instance, in the case of heat recovery, some parts of a leisure centre or sports facility are not only heated, but accumulate heat that can be re-used elsewhere as part of the process in the room. Good examples are excess heat from a heating system, the bodies in a gym or process based heat from a kitchen. Rather than wasting this by expelling it from the building, there are various ways in which one can recycle and re-use the thermal energy, by redirecting it into cooler areas of the building. This excess heat can also be used to directly maintain water temperature at 30 degrees Celsius in the pool. As a result, the integral heating system can often be turned off, coming into play only when the heat recovery system requires support. As well as leading to significant cost savings, this kind of heat recovery also reduces the build-up of condensation, a perennial problem in leisure facilities.

Furthermore, Powermaster’s Integrated Water & Energy Management System (also referred to as IWEMS) can help reduce electricity consumption and the associated chemicals costs in a swimming pool or spa by up to 70%. IWEMS also provides Web based remote monitoring for optimal tuning of system parameters and accurate reporting of performance, energy saving and fault detection.

IWEMS is the first system that is able to automatically regulate pump speeds in accordance with chlorine use. This also maintains the free chlorine level in relation with the bathing load. Using the system, the motor speed in pumps and air handling units is controlled via VSDs and as a result, IWEMS can make real time adjustments to maximise energy efficiency.

Furthermore, the circulation of water using filtration pumps is crucial for safe and efficient pool water management. As a result, IWEMS also monitors a variety of functions including injecting and mixing water treatment chemicals, such as chlorine and pH correctants. This saves both electricity and chemical costs because chemical dosing and control is linked directly to pump speed. Furthermore, by monitoring the running time and temperature of the motors, IWEMS allows the pool manager to increase the time between services, reducing maintenance costs.

A VSD installation in a swimming pool will reduce energy bills by 30%. The addition of an IWEMS system can further reduce expenditure by 30% on average. The record energy reduction on a Powermaster installation is 82% overall!

In conclusion, although energy saving strategies should always be at the forefront of companies’ plans, controversial methods can be avoided. After all, cutting electricity costs should attract the public’s support, not outrage.

A perfect symbiosis – efficient pool management and good water management

Our Variable Speed Drives installed

Although the last thing you want in your pool or spa is fungi, there is a useful lesson to be learned from this particular health and safety hazard. Fungus and algae cohabit in a perfect collaborative relationship. The alga provides the fungi with energy resulting from photosynthesis while the latter extracts nutrients from the soil and shares them with its partner. This ideal symbiosis benefits both parties.

Similarly, efficient pool management goes hand in hand with good water management. The largest energy savings in leisure centres and swimming pools are likely to be found by controlling the a/c motors that drive water filtration pumps. These would normally run at full power at any given time. However, installing variable speed drives (VSDs) enables the speed of fans and pumps to be closely controlled and adjusted so they only run at the required capacity.

This can lead to significant cost reductions in water filtration pumps and air handling units. The systems in the pool work in a symbiotic connection: a sensor tells the dosing system that there isn’t enough chlorine in the pool; the dosing mechanism reacts by releasing the required amount of purifying chemicals, which in its turn leads to the water filtration pump getting to work. And, when the pump is controlled by a VSD, a speed reduction of just 20% can result in energy consumption shrinking by 50%.

In light of current carbon reduction targets in the UK, perhaps pool managers should start by closely monitoring water quality? After all, there is something to be learned from fungi.

Energy for pools specialist Powermaster comments on Redditch Borough Council’s plan to cut costs by using crematorium heat

Geoff Renshaw, Director, Powermaster

Energy saving technology expert Powermaster believes that Redditch Borough Council’s decision to use excess heat from a crematorium to warm a swimming pool is environmentally laudable but needlessly controversial. Powermaster argues that the public debate could have been avoided by using alternative energy saving methods.

In February Redditch Borough Council announced plans to recycle waste heat from the town crematorium, which would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. The local authority maintains that this would be an environmentally efficient use of energy that could save £14,000 a year at its Abbey Stadium facility. However, officials from Unison called the plans “sick and an insult to local residents", spearheading the public outcry against the idea.

Powermaster’s belief is that similar energy savings could be made using less controversial methods, in place of or alongside the existing plans. Geoff Renshaw a director of the company explains, “Reducing energy costs by diverting surplus heat to colder areas of buildings can easily be achieved using less controversial means. There are also a number of other effective methods for reducing energy spend and carbon emissions in leisure centres and pools, which could reduce the costs even more than re-using crematorium heat. For example, variable speed drives can be used to control water pumps, voltage optimisers can reduce electricity costs and internal heat recovery can decrease heating expenditure,” he continued. 

“Some parts of a leisure centre or sports facility are not only heated, but accumulate heat that can be re-used elsewhere as part of the process in the room. Good examples are excess heat from a heating system or the bodies in a gym or process based heat from a kitchen. Rather than wasting this by expelling it from the building, there are various ways in which one can recycle and re-use the thermal energy, by redirecting it into cooler areas of the building. As well as leading to significant cost savings, this kind of heat recovery also reduces the build-up of condensation, a perennial problem in leisure facilities,” added Renshaw.

Integrated water and energy management system enables up to 70% energy savings for pools and spas

IWEMS® Technology

Energy saving technology expert Powermaster has launched a trademarked Integrated Water & Energy Management System (IWEMS®) that reduces electricity consumption and the associated chemicals costs in a swimming pool or spa by up to 70%. IWEMS® also provides Web based remote monitoring for optimal tuning of system parameters and accurate reporting of performance, energy saving and fault detection.

IWEMS® is the first system able to automatically regulate pump speeds in accordance with the number of bathers in the pool. Existing installations have shown potential savings up to 70% of electrical energy together with 30% of chemical costs. A typical application will see 50% savings in power alone as well as the resultant carbon emission reductions.

Using IWEMS® the motor speed in pumps and air handling units is controlled via Variable Speed Drives, which are an essential part of a modern energy-efficient plant room. As a result, IWEMS® can make real time adjustments to maximise energy efficiency. This means air handling units and pool pumps are automatically optimised according to their running requirements, leading to significant energy savings.

For example, were pump speed reduced to an average 70% of full capacity, this would reduce power consumption by 73% - saving thousands of pounds a year and substantially reducing carbon emissions.

For swimming pools that already incorporate variable speed drives (VSDs) in their control systems, IWEMS® is the next step. For those that don’t, Powermaster can also provide VSD specification and installation.

Furthermore, the circulation of water using filtration pumps is crucial for safe and efficient pool water management. As a result, IWEMS® also monitors a variety of functions including injecting and mixing water treatment chemicals, such as chlorine and pH correctants, and heating the pool and distributing heated water within it. When water quality exceeds a pre-defined threshold, pump speed can be reduced. This saves both electricity and chemical costs because chemical dosing and control is linked directly to pump speed.

IWEMS® can even be used to manage UV treatment systems, creating further savings in both energy and maintenance, by prolonging lamp life. 

“When pools are designed, the pumps are specified to provide sufficient turnover of water to cope with the maximum number of bathers that the pool can accommodate,” explained Geoff Ranshaw, one of Powermaster’s directors. “Our vision is to properly integrate the control of pool pump speed with the monitoring and management of water quality, so as to maximise the opportunity for energy savings. Put simply, we make your energy spend relative to the amount of people in your pool!”

In Northern Ireland and Scotland, Powermaster’s IWEMS® range is listed in the Carbon Trust Loan Scheme. As a result, when taking part in the scheme, organisations can benefit from 0% business loans of £3,000 - £100,000 to cover the purchase cost. It’s quite common for the energy savings alone to cover the capital cost of the equipment during the course of the loan. From April 11, 2011 the equivalent scheme in the United Kingdom will be managed by the Carbon Trust and Siemens Financial Services.

Voltage optimisers enable 10-15% energy savings for commercial buildings

Voltage Optimisation Technology

Energy saving technology expert Powermaster has released a range of PowaSava voltage optimisers that reduce electricity consumption and the associated costs by up to 10-15%. The technology also protects a commercial buildings’ electrical energy infrastructure and can reduce carbon emissions across the building by 10-15%.

By controlling the voltage from the main supply, the PowaSava voltage optimiser ensures that the application uses only the required amount of electricity, minimising bills. The device reduces energy bills, without any noticeable difference to electrical functions, by balancing three phase supply and optimising the mains voltage. Depending on incoming voltage it can reduce costs by optimising and improving the source, which can be reduced incrementally by ±15V on the set point.

In Northern Ireland and Scotland, Powermaster’s IWEMS® range is listed in the Carbon Trust Loan Scheme. As a result, when taking part in the scheme, organisations can benefit from 0% business loans of £3,000 - £100,000 to cover the purchase cost. It’s quite common for the energy savings alone to cover the capital cost of the equipment during the course of the loan. From April 11, 2011 the equivalent scheme in the United Kingdom will be managed by the Carbon Trust and Siemens Financial Services.

“UK Plc has been trying to improve its electrical energy infrastructure to save money and preserve the environment for some time,” explained Geoff Ranshaw, a director of Powermaster. “Our voltage optimisers are proven to increase the lifecycle of electrical equipment and reduce maintenance costs. They also help protect electrical equipment from transients, such as surges and spikes. In addition, they are suitable for operating in severe temperatures, humidity, vibration and dirty environments and can respond immediately to input and output change.”

Moreover, the system also helps lower maintenance costs on motors, lighting equipment and other electrical devices by suppressing potentially damaging harmonics. It also reduces the operating temperature on electrical equipment, further extending its lifespan and reducing the need for maintenance.