Using Cogeneration For Heating Swimming Pools  

Posted by Big Gav in ,

North Sydney Council has installed a cogeneration plant at my local pool - Cogeneration Plant at North Sydney Olympic Pool.

A 100kW cogeneration plant has been installed (July 2013) at the North Sydney Olympic Pool by the contractor Urban Energy. The plant, which will be powered by natural gas, will reduce CO2 emissions by 367 tonnes per annum and contribute to achieving Council’s sustainability targets.

The plant will produce more than 450,000kWh of electricity per annum, saving $58,000 on the Pool’s power bill. The Olympic Pool facility accounts for 35% of Council’s total electricity use, with an annual consumption of more than 1,450,000kWh.

Cogeneration technology, or cogen as it is usually called, is the process of using a heat engine to simultaneously generate electricity and heat - both essential for the operation of the Olympic Pool. The new system will heat the outdoor pool at a pleasant 25 degrees all year round and maintain the indoor pool at a steamy 29 degrees.

5 comments

Gav

thanks for this. I've been asking questions about it every visit since it was installed - and no one there (guards) knows anything about it!

On a related note, is Sydney in trouble vis a vis supplies of natural gas? (I believe the Moomba field is tapped out)

No worries.

And no - Sydney isn't going to run out of gas any time soon - production in the Cooper basin is at a 20 year high :

http://www.fool.com.au/2013/09/02/cooper-basin-oil-production-rockets-to-20-year-high/?source=aptyholnk3030003

The coal seam gas industry has been running a bit of a PR campaign about this to try and get drilling allowed in NSW (lots of peakists were making a big deal about it 10 years ago when the Cooper was in decline but there seems to be plenty left there).

Example of PR :

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/opinion/nsw-must-secure-its-energy-future-and-restore-investor-confidence/story-e6frg9if-1226708587960

Gav,

WHEW! Thanks for the links provided.

And, on a wider note, this is a great blog I have enjoyed checking up on regularly the last two years. Can always find good stuff here and you have great taste. Thanks!

Thanks Chuck - I appreciate the comment.

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