PASSIVHAUS POOL

MARK THOMAS AFLS+P ARCHITECTS

TOMAS GARTNER GALE & SNOWDEN ARCHITECTS

Passivhaus Pool and Leisure Centre for Exeter City Council

The Exeter Active project - an overview

1. The project team

2. Leisure Centre design

3. Project background

4. The Client’s Brief

5. The business case for Passivhaus pools

6. The Passivhaus pool concept

What’s this about?

Design Team

Technical advisers:

Passivhaus Institute

Building Biology

Institute IBN

Exeter University

Client

THE TEAM

Westminster Lodge, St Albans

Redcar and Cleveland Leisure and Community Heart

The Peak, Stirling

National Aquatic Centre, Dublin

Swiss Cottage Northolt Leisure Centre

Swiss Cottage

The Peak, Stirling

Basildon Sports Hub

Exeter City Council’s has been a strong supporter of Passivhaus In 2010 the council completed their first multi-residential Passivhaus scheme Since then all Exeter City’s new build residential projects have been developed to Passivhaus standard including terraced houses, flats and a care home (currently at design stage)

PASSIVHAUS IN EXETER

Journey began in 2010

TSB ‘Design 4 Future

Climate’ programme

This study also helped to

inform the client’s

performance criteria for:

- Energy/water saving

- Healthy building

- Future climate

WHERE IT STARTED

In 2011 two Passivhaus swimming pools opened in Germany: the Lippe Bad (Luenen) and the Bambados (Bamberg)

Both were developed as pilot projects with assistance from the PHI

Both were monitored by the PHI following completion and confirmed the predicted energy savings are achievable

Detailed reports on the design, construction and post completion monitoring are available from the PHI

Passivhaus Pools - Looking Abroad

Lippe Bad - Luenen

Bambados - Bamberg

High energy and water use

Range of different temperature zones in one building

High temperature levels (32 C) means pools need to be heated all year

High humidity and chemicals create challenging environment for materials and building fabric

What’s special about Pool buildings?

Lippe Bad - Luenen

Bambados - Bamberg

Cumulative costs for swimming pool building, built to 2010 Building Regulation requirements,

for heating, lighting, hot water and additional future investments required to maintain

adequate comfort conditions under future weather scenarios over the lifetime of the building.

All costs have been discounted at 5% to represent present value. A conservative annual

increase in fuel costs of 4% has been allowed for and a reduction of heating demand of 30%

from 2050 to 2080 has been included.

TSB Study - Findings Cumulative Costs for Swimming Pool Building, Built to

2010 Building Regulation Requirements

£0.00

£1,000,000.00

£2,000,000.00

£3,000,000.00

£4,000,000.00

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£6,000,000.00

£7,000,000.00

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£0.00

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TSB Study - Findings Cumulative Costs for Climate Ready, Passivhaus Swimming

Pool Building

Cumulative costs for swimming pool building, built to Passivhaus standard, for heating,

lighting, hot water and additional future investments required to maintain adequate comfort

conditions under future weather scenarios over the lifetime of the building. All costs have

been discounted at 5% to represent present value. A conservative annual increase in fuel

costs of 4% has been allowed for and a reduction of heating demand of 30% from 2050 to

2080 has been included.

TSB Study - Findings Comparison of Cumulative Costs for a Standard Pool

(Green) Building and the Passivhaus Pool (Blue)

£0.00

£1,000,000.00

£2,000,000.00

£3,000,000.00

£4,000,000.00

£5,000,000.00

£6,000,000.00

£7,000,000.00

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Gale & Snowden Design vs Standard Pool

Pa

yb

ack a

fte

r 1

0 y

ears

60% reduced

energy demand

Payback period 10 years

Energy/Water Total energy target –

70%

Water saving –

50%

Healthy

building Test to SBM 2015

For air, water quality

and radiation

2080 Climate

Ready Thermal comfort

Changes in rainfall

Increased storm

severity

Exeter City

Environmental

Factors

Brief

A Passivhaus building envelope will significantly reduce heating energy losses in pool buildings and results in the following benefits:

- Higher surface temperatures

- Minimum thermal bridging avoiding condensation risk

- Increased thermal comfort

The Passivhaus Pool Concept

100%

0%

UK Pool

PH Pool

Tota

l En

ergy

Dem

and

But these are just the starting point to open up further energy saving opportunities and benefits:

- Higher relative humidity possible throughout the year

(~64%)

- This will reduce evaporation rates from pool water and

reduce required ventilation rates (ventilation rate of 1-

1.5 ac/h with no re-circulation)

- More economic ventilation/ducting (eg glazed façade

elements don’t need to be ventilated to protect from

condensation.)

- Reduced electrical energy demand for ventilation

The Passivhaus Pool Concept

UK Pool

PH Pool

Tota

l En

ergy

Dem

and

100%

0%

The Passivhaus Pool Concept

Key elements of the Passivhaus pool concept include:

1. High performance Passivhaus building fabric

2. High performance windows and doors

3. High levels of airtightness (air permeability <0.6)

4. Compact building form

5. Optimum solar orientation ~40% south facing glazing for wet areas to maximise solar gains

6. Highly efficient ventilation heat recovery

7. Internal zoning

8. Increased relative humidity

9. Reduced ventilation rates with no re-circulation

10. Low chlorine/chemical filtration

£0.00

£10,000.00

£20,000.00

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£40,000.00

£50,000.00

£60,000.00

£70,000.00

£80,000.00

£90,000.00

£100,000.00

income expenses income expenses

Revenue Projections Average UK Pool and Fitness Centre

Creche

Fitness/Gym

Marketing

Energy/Water

Retail / F&B

Maintenance

Staff

Retail / F&B

Swimming

The Bigger Picture

100%

0%

£0.00

£10,000.00

£20,000.00

£30,000.00

£40,000.00

£50,000.00

£60,000.00

£70,000.00

£80,000.00

£90,000.00

£100,000.00

income expenses income expenses

Revenue Projections Average UK Pool and Fitness Centre

Creche

Fitness/Gym

Marketing

Energy/Water

Retail / F&B

Maintenance

Staff

Retail / F&B

Swimming

The Bigger Picture

100%

0%

£0.00

£10,000.00

£20,000.00

£30,000.00

£40,000.00

£50,000.00

£60,000.00

£70,000.00

£80,000.00

£90,000.00

£100,000.00

income expenses income expenses

Revenue Projections Average UK Leisure Centre vs Passivhaus Leisure

Centre

Creche

Fitness/Gym

Marketing

Energy/Water

Retail / F&B

Maintenance

Staff

Retail / F&B

Swimming

Creche

Fitness/Gym

Retail / F&B

Swimming Energy/Water

Retail / F&B

Maintenance

Staff

15% reduced

running costs

The Bigger Picture

100%

0%

Thank You !