Retro-fitting variable-speed drives cuts 40% off pumping costs at Sandcastle Water Park
Energy costs for pumping water in the UK’s largest indoor water park have been reduced by 40% following the installation of four ABB variable-speed drives. The savings at the Sandcastle Water Park in Blackpool amount to £13 000 a year for the four 15 kW pumps used to circulate 418 m3/h of water through the pool.
Maintenance engineer Tony McNichol explains, ‘The pool is a deck-level pool in which water runs over the edge into a balance tank to make up water lost from the system. From the balance tank, it is heated and treated in a sanitiser and then pumped back to the pool.’
Sandcastle Water Park is the biggest utility user among the council-owned facilities. With a target to save 8% of overall energy use, the park management was keen to improve the efficiency of the pool installations. Pumps previously ran constantly with no form of control.
Radway Control Systems, a distributor of ABB Drives connected variable-speed drives to the pumps and looked at energy use before and after.
Before this, pumps were used in pairs — two duty and two standby. During peak periods, there were three duty pumps and one on standby. Running costs were nearly £33 000 a year.
Variable-speed drives were installed. An original power consumption of 34.8 kW fell to 21 kW for three pumps and 17.5 kW for four pumps — giving estimated annual savings of £13 000 and £16 000, respectively.
Tony McNichol says, ‘I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. We didn’t have to think twice about it and we gave the go ahead for a permanent installation.’
Three pumps are run together to achieve better efficiency than two at full speed.
The £15 000 investment will give a 3-month payback on 3-pump operation. The 40% energy saving on pumps has contributed to a 20% overall energy saving — compared to the original target of 8%.
