Variable Speed Drives
Reducing water pump and air filtration energy consumption
The largest immediate energy savings in leisure centres and
swimming pools are likely to be found with the a/c motors that
drive pumps and fans. These would normally run at full speed 24
hours a day, 7 days a week, irrespective of demand.
Installing variable speed drives enables the speed of fans and
pumps to be closely controlled and adjusted so they only run at the
speed that is required. This can lead to significant costs savings
in:
Water filtration
pumps: The circulation of water via filtration pumps is
the key to safe and efficient pool water management. Variable speed
drives enable you to adjust the pump's power depending on the
pool's requirements at the time, leading to a much more
energy-efficient operation.
Air Handling Units
ensure a plentiful supply of warm fresh air throughout the whole
building. Variable speed drives allow the dynamic controlling of
air unit motor speed, ensuring that the air handling units only
work as hard as they need to produce a plentiful supply of quality
air.
Cost Savings
What makes this technology so appealing is the amount of energy
that can be saved with just small adjustments to motor speed.
Reducing speed by 10% can reduce energy consumption by 25%, while
20% less speed can lead to a 50% reduction in costs. (How?)
Generally the cost savings of installing variable speed drives
have been around 35%, with a payback period of less than two
years.
"Powermaster installed Variable
Speed Drives on the pool pumps and air handling units at our
Scarborough Indoor Pool, and, as a result, we have seen a
substantial reduction in our energy consumption"
Allan Simmonds, Scarborough Borough Council
"Powermaster has installed
Variable Speed Drives on the pool circulation pumps at two of our
leisure facilities. During normal hours of operation the pump motor
speed was reduced by 10% with an even greater reduction through the
night. The installation resulted in immediate energy savings for
the two properties with no loss in water quality. We have estimated
that the savings achieved at one of the facilities has resulted in
a payback of 1.16 years"
Stuart Morrow, Stockton-On-Tees Borough
Council
Find out more by reading our Case Studies, or please contact us directly if you would like to
discuss the possibilities of variable speed drives for your
business.