Energy performance of open air swimming pools in Greece

• Construction and operation characteristics of open swimming pools in Greece are identified.
• Energy consumption data for open swimming pools in Greece were collected and presented.
• The energy characteristics of open swimming pools are analyzed.

Sport centers and more specifically swimming pools are regarded as high energy consuming installations and also major air pollutants, contributing to Green House Gas (GHG) emissions as their demand in energy is extremely large. Taking into consideration EU mandating directives and policies in accordance with this high energy consumption, it is obvious that establishing guidelines for swimming pools in order to improve their energy performance by implementing energy conservation actions and increasing their energy efficiency will consequently result to significant energy savings. The aim of this paper is to assess energy performance of outdoor swimming pools operating in Greece. The approach followed is a bottom-up approach as it first analyses the characteristics of all operating swimming pools based on data retrieved from General Secretary of Sports, questionnaires and specific energy audits and surveys, with the aim of quantifying their energy performance. Examining the performance of swimming pools, which mainly use conventional oil or gas fired boilers to cover their thermal needs, it is made clear that there is a broad field to apply energy conservation measures and achieve financial and environmental benefits.