“I can’t believe how expensive pool filtration was, and how much of that was wasted"
1 Introduction
Background:
With rising energy costs and increasing environmental awareness, homeowners are seeking innovative ways to reduce energy usage in every aspect of their homes and lower emissions.
The pool pump is a significant electricity user in households with pools, is a prime target for efficiency improvements.
Australia’s 1.3 million pools consume 2% of the nation’s electricity – often at the worst time of the day. There is also a need for innovative ways of balancing the grid as we transition to renewables.
Product Overview:
Together Energy’s TED is an advanced energy management solution designed to optimise the electricity consumption of pool pumps and chlorinators through smart scheduling.
TED uses a smart-plug and an app to determine a pool pump’s optimal run-time taking into account the pool’s specification, tariff, if the house has solar-panels, weather conditions, and seasons. TED is simple to set up, works with any pool, and costs under $100.
Objective:
This case study examines the effectiveness of TED in optimizing pool pump schedules to achieve enhanced energy efficiency, illustrated through the experiences of David and Sara H, participants in the TED proof-of-concept trial of the technology.
Case Study Details
Participant Name: | David & Sara H_ |
Location: | Mosman NSW |
Install date | 18/11/2023 |
Pool Type: | Concrete, 50,000 litres |
Pool pump | Hayward Super |
Pump power | 880W |
Flow rate | 240l/m |
Chlorinator | Watermaid RP7 |
Electricity Supply | AGL / ToU / $0.6477-0.1671-0.2646 |
2 Implementation
Setup:
TED was installed to control the pool pump and chlorinator by plugging into an ordinary power outlet at David & Sara’s residence.
The device was connected to the home’s WiFi network, enabling remote monitoring and control via a smartphone application.
Configuration:
The initial pool pump schedule was set to operate 12 hours daily.
Water Quality
The pool pH was above the 7.2-7.6 range, and the salt levels below 3,000. Both factors would clearly impact the chlorinator’s effectiveness at producing hypochlorous acid, leading to lower chlorinator effectiveness. Both issues were addressed during the trial period.
3 Results
Energy Consumption Analysis:
Prior to using TED, the pool pump operated on a fixed schedule of 12 hours per day all year round.
Summer Schedule | 7AM-2PM and 5PM-10PM – 12 hours |
Winter Schedule | 7AM-2PM and 5PM-10PM – 12 hours |
Estimated annual cost | $1,578 |
Implementation | 18/11/23 |
Adjustment 1
After a week, TED suggested the pool water be tested, and if well balanced, the schedule reduced by 2 hours at peak times, as follows:
Original Schedule | 7AM-2PM and 5PM-10PM – 12 hours |
Suggested Schedule | 7AM-2PM and 7PM-10PM – 10 hours |
Estimated savings | $472.82/annum or 20% |
Implementation | 28/11/23 |
Figure 2 below shows the resulting lowering daily energy use on the day following the change.
Figure 2: Base Case After Adjustment 1
Adjustment 2
In early December 2023, TED suggested the pool water be tested, and if well balanced, the schedule reduced by a further 1 hours at peak times, as follows
Original Schedule | 7AM-2PM and 5PM-10PM – 12 hours |
Adjustment 1 | 7AM-2PM and 7PM-10PM – 10 hours |
Suggested Schedule | 7AM-2PM and 8PM-10PM – 9 hours |
Estimated savings | $709.23/annum or 25% |
Implementation | 11/12/23 |
Adjustment 3
In March 2024, TED suggested the pool water be tested, and if well balanced, the schedule reduced by a further 1 hours at peak times, as follows
Original Schedule | 7AM-2PM and 5PM-10PM – 12 hours |
Adjustment 1 | 7AM-2PM and 7PM-10PM – 10 hours |
Adjustment 2 | 7AM-2PM and 8PM-10PM – 9 hours |
Suggested Schedule | 10AM-2PM and 8PM-10PM – 6 hours |
Estimated savings | $998.97/annum or 50% |
Implementation | 21/3/23 |
Adjustment 4
In April 2024, TED suggested the pool water be tested, and if well balanced, the schedule reduced by a further 1 hours at peak times, as follows
Original Schedule | 7AM-2PM and 5PM-10PM – 12 hours |
Adjustment 1 | 7AM-2PM and 7PM-10PM – 10 hours |
Adjustment 2 | 7AM-2PM and 8PM-10PM – 9 hours |
Ajustment 3 | 10AM-2PM and 8PM-10PM – 6 hours |
Suggested Schedule | 10AM-2PM and 8PM-10PM – 5 hours |
Estimated savings | $1,095.55/annum or 58%. |
Implementation | 16/4/23 |
4 Discussion
Analysis of the pool pump operation data demonstrated that TED’s recommendations for optimal scheduling can significantly decrease energy consumption without compromising pool cleanliness and maintenance.
Initial schedule
The initial schedule of 12 hours per day was based the top end of the 10-12 hours a day rule of thumb.
David and Sara reported that they rarely changed the schedule as the timer was hard to access and the schedule difficult to reprogramme.
They also indicated they were unsure about what the right amount of time to run the pump should be.
They noted that the pool had occasionally shown signs of algae, during which time the schedule was simply increased. One can assume that low chlorine levels due to low salt / high pH were probably to blame.
User Feedback:
David reported significant satisfaction and surprise with the ease of use and the energy savings achieved.
It because clear, and David suggested that a how-to-guide be provided to allow people (especially maintenance people) to know how to turn the unit on manually for cleaning, without the app.
“A little bit of knowledge goes a long way. We didn’t realise the pH and salt levels were so important. Once the water was balanced, reducing the hours made a lot of sense”.
Sara said “I can’t believe how expensive pool filtration was, and how much of that was wasted. With the price of everything else going up, TED is a bit of a good news story in our house”.
Finally David noted “Seeing energy consumption and savings on an app’s really great. Once you start seeing results, you take more interest in trying to do things better”.
Environmental Impact:
By reducing the daily operation time of pool pumps, TED has contributed to a substantial decrease of 58% in the pool pump’s electricity consumption, and a commensurate reduction in carbon emissions.
If one ignores the chlorinator savings, TED reduced the annual pool pump energy use by 2,250kWh and emissions by 1.6Mt CO2-e.
Undoubtedly, the pool pump will also gain a little bit of “extra life” by taking a longer nap between runs.
5 Conclusion
TED has proven to be a valuable tool for managing energy consumption of pool pumps, offering substantial cost savings and environmental benefits.
This case study highlights the potential of smart home technologies to enhance energy efficiency and significantly reduce emissions in residential settings.
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