Study of Natural Ventilation and Solar Control Strategies to Improve Energy Efficiency and Environmental Quality in Glazed Heated Swimming Pools in a Dry Mediterranean Climate

Abstract

This paper studies the energy behavior of several public heated swimming pools with semi-transparent covers located in southeastern Spain with high consumption of their air-conditioning installations. The scientific novelty of the work is to determine the influence of solar radiation on the energy performance of this type of building and to demonstrate that the use of passive systems such as natural ventilation and solar control enhance the energy efficiency in glazed heated swimming pools in a warm semi-arid climate. The methodology used consisted of on-site measurements of current hygrometric behaviour and a study of alternative solutions by simulation of virtual models with improved hygrothermal conditions. In the on-site measurements, thermographic images were used to analyse the thermal envelope and hot-wire probe measurements to determine the temperature distribution and air velocity inside the pool enclosure. For the study of alternative solutions, simulations were carried out, including an analysis of incident solar radiation and different natural ventilation and solar control solutions. The results obtained showed that the current hygrothermal behaviour of the interior spaces does not comply with the regulations on the thermal quality of the indoor environment. The results show that the proposed natural ventilation and solar control solutions substantially improved the hygrothermal properties and energy savings of the pools analysed. This work offers an alternative solution that avoids the implementation of costly air conditioning systems and the energy consumption of installations, promoting more sustainable renovations that contribute to improving the indoor comfort of users with interventions that are compatible with existing buildings.

Water and Energy Sustainability of Swimming Pools: A Case Model on the Costa Brava, Catalonia

“…The literature review highlights the sustainable management of swimming pools, focusing on water stress, energy stress [17,[30][31][32], and applicable legislation [19,[32][33][34]. It is worth remarking that the literature indicates that climate change will drive new research to continuously improve swimming pools, in the face of these new scenarios [35,36]. On the other hand, this review addresses the concerns of the hotel sector regarding technological and behavioral changes, in the context of governmental legislation to control and mitigate the effects of drought [11,12,[37][38][39][40][41].…”

“…A significant problem in the area analyzed is water evaporation [3,42] and another is energy stress, due to access and the high cost of energy due to geopolitical conditions [36]. It is highlighted that green and renewable energy does not have a carbon footprint, unlike other energy alternatives [21,40,43,44].…”

Use of “Glass Curtain” Systems to Improve the Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort of Dwellings in a Warm Semi-Arid Mediterranean Climate

“…This influence is especially important in high sunlight regions throughout the year, and the operating temperature is taken to be the mean of the dry-bulb air temperature and the radiant temperature for indoor air velocities under 0.2 m/s [25]. On the other hand, the advantages of natural ventilation in summer in terms of dissipating excess heat have also been demonstrated [26][27][28][29][30]. Therefore, the residential architecture of coastal cities in Spain has usually had large porches or terraces that protected the windows from the sun.…”

The potential of a retractable roof of the natatorium on the indoor environmental improvement: Taking Jiading natatorium of Tongji University as an example

“…According to previous studies on the open–closed roof of natatoriums, 4,13,23–25 the application of open–closed roof technology in hot summer and cold winter areas can well regulate the thermal and humidity environment of natatoriums and the use of air conditioning equipment can be reduced by natural ventilation, achieving the purpose of saving energy. 26 How to better apply the open–closed roof technology, maximize the effect of the open–closed roof technology and integrate the open–closed roof with architectural art is the main purpose of this study.…”

“…[17][18][19] The use of passive natural ventilation strategies in hot and cold summer areas is the main way to reduce energy consumption in sports buildings. [20][21][22] According to previous studies on the open-closed roof of natatoriums, 4,13,[23][24][25] the application of open-closed roof technology in hot summer and cold winter areas can well regulate the thermal and humidity environment of natatoriums and the use of air conditioning equipment can be reduced by natural ventilation, achieving the purpose of saving energy. 26…”