Heat recovery: Using recovered energy for free pool water heating
Recovering heat from the refrigeration circuit’s compressors to provide free pool water heating is not a new technology. In fact, it is one of the major founding principles of the earliest mechanical dehumidifiers. Before mechanical dehumidifiers were developed in the ’70s, indoor pools generally attempted to control relative humidity levels by simply exhausting this energy-rich air and replacing it with outdoor air. Those early pools were forced to heat the pool water with conventional gas or electric heaters. However, using recovered energy from the compressor’s waste heat to provide pool water heating has made the mechanical dehumidifier a more efficient method for operating indoor pools. This is another option that typically shortens the ROI period and should always be considered.
ASHRAE’s Energy Standard 90.1, Energy Conservation in New Buildings Except Low Rise and Residential Buildings, has taken the energy recovery requirement a step further by mandating heat recovery or the use of a pool cover. In fact, some states in the U.S. have adopted this standard into local code requirements. The standard calls for a pool cover for commercial indoor pools using conventional pool heaters unless “over 60 per cent of the energy for heating comes from site-recovered energy.” The pool water heating option on mechanical dehumidifiers easily satisfies this requirement. Therefore, this option not only saves energy, but can also help satisfy local code requirements and possibly eliminate the need for a pool cover.
Remote monitoring for optimum performance
Dehumidifiers are no different than a car, computer or residential air conditioner, because they all need regular maintenance and calibration to ensure optimum performance. Allowing any system to limp along outside of its optimum operating conditions costs the operator money.
Dehumidifiers control much more than just room temperature as would traditional heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, so their optimum performance is critical to minimizing operating costs. At a minimum, a factory-trained technician should be servicing and adjusting the system a few times a year. For example, if an operator was not aware the pool’s water flow was not getting to the dehumidification system, the unit would not be able to heat the pool water with its recovered energy. In a large facility, this could cost the operator tens of thousands of dollars in free pool water heating annually.
To help operators realize the best possible system performance and lowest possible operating cost for the life of the equipment, some units even feature an on-board monitor/control microprocessor that is capable of sending the dehumidification equipment’s vital operating statistics via Internet to the manufacturing facility. These manufacturers offer a free daily monitoring service and even have ‘smartphone’ applications where an authorized user can access a unit remotely.
This technology also allows the manufacturer to alert a facility manager to any issues as well as help service contractors set up and adjust the unit to ensure optimum performance. In the event of an alarm, troubleshooting can be assisted by a factory engineer, which ensures a quick resolution to any problem.
Keeping the dehumidifier finely tuned to its intended performance parameters will result in further energy and ownership savings over the life of the equipment.
