Pool Power: Unlocking Energy Savings for Dunedin’s Community Facilities
St Clair Hot Salt Water Pool
The Project:
Back in 2010, Neville Auton, Energy Manager at Dunedin City Council (DCC), set out to cut energy costs at several Council-operated swimming pools and sought EECA funding to support these initiatives. He also saw value in auditing the City’s pump stations to identify further efficiency gains.
The Solution:
Whirika’s Senior Energy, Biomass and Carbon Specialist Lloyd McGinty worked closely with Neville and the DCC to secure EECA co-funding for a broad programme of energy efficiency upgrades across the city. Together, they developed a plan to implement a work programme across the city’s pools and water pump stations, aimed at identifying more energy-efficient ways to heat the water.
Lloyd began by conducting comprehensive energy audits at several of the city’s public pools. These assessments highlighted opportunities to switch from traditional electric water heating systems to modern, high-efficiency heat pumps. We supported the implementation of these upgrades at Port Chalmers, Mosgiel, and the iconic St Clair saltwater pool. Each site saw major energy savings - over 60% in some cases. St Clair, in particular, posed a challenge due to its outdoor location and high evaporation rates, especially during the intensive heat-up period in November. However, our solution delivered both environmental and cost benefits.
For the larger Moana Pool complex, we recommended replacing its fossil fuel-powered boiler with a renewable woodchip combustion system. This alternative offered substantial long-term savings in both fuel costs and emissions.
On the infrastructure side, Whirika leveraged our partnership with EECA in the pumps and fans sector to evaluate five of the Council’s major pump stations. Our investigations identified clear potential for improved efficiency in three of them. Many of these systems were outdated, and in one case we found that a 200kW pump was significantly oversized for its current requirements. Through analysis, we determined that a 90kW pump could deliver the same performance, leading to a planned system upgrade that we're currently managing - along with seeking funding for similar improvements at another site.
The Impact:
The energy efficiency upgrades delivered in partnership with Dunedin City Council have shown strong results, both financially and environmentally:
Public Pool Upgrades: Replacing electric heaters with heat pumps at Port Chalmers, Mosgiel, and St Clair pools is projected to save over $62,000 annually.
Moana Pool Boiler Replacement: Transitioning from fossil fuels to a woodchip boiler at the Moana Pool is expected to deliver $1.2 to $2.3 million in savings over five years, significantly reducing operating costs and emissions.
Pump Station Efficiency: Upgrading just one of the city's water pump stations is forecast to save $30,000 to $40,000 per year, with further improvements underway.
Strong Financial Return: Across all projects, the estimated payback period was just three years, enabling the Council to quickly recover its investment and continue to benefit from long-term operational savings.
These outcomes highlight the value of a strategic, data-driven approach to energy management - one that supports climate goals while delivering measurable financial results.
Testimonial:
“The opportunity to have experienced external energy auditors working with our staff to bring about energy efficiencies could only have positive outcomes. Whirika’s access to EECA funding has allowed Dunedin City Council to undertake projects that would normally only have maintenance funding in the future, with little opportunity to improve energy efficiency. The initial work undertaken by Lloyd has seen investment in capital projects to improve the efficiency of operation within the aquatics and potable water areas of the Council’s energy use portfolio. Whirika provided comprehensive reports to council staff, and the quality and depth of inputs provided confidence in driving forward capital investment projects”
Neville Auton, Energy Manager, Dunedin City Council.