CHALLENGE

The outdoor olympic size swimming pool located in the Randwick Barracks Aquatic Centre provides Defence personnel training and recreation all year round. The pool required a new efficient and eco-friendly heating solution to replace the three ‘Accent Air’ units that were proving both insufficient and costly. The heating scope called for an ‘environmentally conscientious’ solution exploring avenues such as solar, gas, and geothermal.

SOLUTION

The location of the site (immediately above the Botany Aquifer) led PCB to exploit a Ground Source Geothermal Installation – a Deep Well Direct Exchange Geothermal model was chosen. This system incorporates multiple ‘wells’ into which copper ‘loops’ were installed in a thermally conductive grout, connected through trenches to a new plant consisting of pumps and compressors. Heat from the ground is transferred to the pool water by way of a condenser. The system operates at a fraction of the energy consumption of the previous heaters and is projected to provide for the return of the systems installation costs well within the nominated four year period. To maintain a constant heating source to the pool (and enable its continued usage throughout the works), the old system was replaced with new system one half at a time. PCB went the extra mile in environmental sustainability by recycling of fencing, old heater units, concrete paths, 80% of all general waste; new concrete footpaths comprising of 20% recycled aggregate, and 100% recycled turf underlay during landscaping works. The project presented many unforeseen issues in asbestos contaminated soil, large amounts of ground water to control and bankruptcy of the nominated Specialist contractor, all of which were successfully managed and delivered. This project won an Environmentally Sustainable Development Award (Brookfield Johnson Controls).