System for reducing heat losses from indoor swimming pools by use of automatic covers. [Quarterly] report No. 5, January 1, 1995--March 31, 1995

To maintain comfortable and healthful temperatures in an indoor swimming pool, heat must be continually supplied to the pool water and to fresh air-that must be brought in for ventilation. Nearly all the heat added to the water is lost by evaporation into the air above the water surface. That very moist air must then be removed and replaced with relatively dry outdoor air that requires heating during most of the year. The cost of natural gas for supplying heat in a typical institutional pool is $10,000 to $25,000 Per Year. When the pool is not being used, typically half to two-thirds of the time, evaporation and the resulting heat demands can be eliminated by placing impervious covers on the water surface. On a schedule of use such as at Skyland, the pool can be covered and evaporation suppressed about two-thirds of the time, thereby saving about ten thousand dollars per year. Determination of the actual savings achieved by use of pool covers is the principal objective of this project. The program goal is the development of the technology and tools for achieving major reductions in the nation`s waste of energy