Down the Drain:
Energy Consumption at the Berkeley YMCA Pool
A Vital Signs Case Study
Prof. Alison Kwok/ARCH 507/University of Oregon Architecture Dept.
Introduction
Team Members:
Anne Deutsch
Ram Ganapathy
Geoff Grummon
Introduction
The YMCA building in Berkeley, California was originally constructed as a chapel in 1910, and two additions were constructed in 1960 and 1994. The building houses a number of different spaces: exercise rooms, gyms, three swimming pools, temporary residences, and many other rooms. Because reaching out to the community is a major component of the mission of the YMCA, the building is heavily used. As a result, monthly energy costs for the facility are high.
On January 13, 2000, we toured the facility and examined the major energy and comfort problems of the building. We decided to study the energy usage of the lap pool.
The newest pool in the building, the lap pool, is 50 feet x 75 feet and is 4 feet deep. The pool must be heated 24 hours a day because a significant amount of the heat in the water is lost to the air and the ground. We were interested in determining how heat loss occurs; this would allow us to suggest solutions that would reduce energy consumption and costs.
Pool Location Plan
After the tour, we considered these questions:
- Where does the heat in the pool go?
- Does a significant amount of heat go through the concrete slab beneath the pool and into the ground? Is the slab insulated?
- Is the pool heater gas fired? What is its efficiency? How often does it run?
- Do the materials surrounding the pool room affect the temperature of the water?
- Can the skylight on the north side of the pool room be used for solar heating somehow?
- Does the humid air in the pool room affect evaporation?
- What is the solar heating potential for Berkeley?
- Would a pool cover be effective in reducing energy costs?