“UrbanWave”: Two Public Swimming Pool Concepts Selected

(eap) How can municipal swimming pools be modernised to significantly reduce their energy consumption while remaining economically viable, user-friendly and architecturally appealing? This is the central question addressed by the “UrbanWave – Stadtbad der Zukunft” (Public Swimming Pool of the Future) innovation competition, which forms part of the 8^th Energy Research Programme of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE). The aim is to substantially reduce the energy consumption of existing swimming pools while ensuring a climate-friendly energy supply. Ambitious targets serve as benchmarks: Following modernisation, the facilities should achieve a specific heating demand of 1,200 kilowatt-hours and electricity consumption of 400 kilowatt-hours per square metre of pool water surface area per year.

A four-member expert jury has now selected two of the five participating teams to advance to the next phase of the competition. The “KliMoPlanElbe” and “NetZero Olvenstedt” teams impressed the jury with their modernisation concepts for indoor swimming pools in Hamburg and Magdeburg, respectively, thereby qualifying for the subsequent implementation and operational phases.

The KliMoPlanElbe team developed a comprehensive energy-efficient modernisation concept for the Schwimmbad Elbgaustraße swimming pool in Hamburg (part of the Bäderland Hamburg operating group). The concept combines improvements to the building envelope with upgrades to the technical installations, ventilation and water treatment systems. For the future heat supply, the team explored both a decentralised heat pump solution and the possibility of connecting the facility to a local heating network. An innovative downward-directed airflow system is also intended to reduce the pool’s heat demand. In addition, photovoltaic installations are planned for the roof and above the parking areas to generate electricity directly on site. A digital twin will also be used to simulate different usage scenarios and support the optimisation of future operations.

The NetZero Olvenstedt team has likewise developed a concept combining structural and technical improvements for the Schwimmhalle Magdeburg-Olvenstedt indoor swimming pool. Planned measures include new windows and photovoltaic installations on the roof and façade. A key feature is the proposed digital operational management system: Sensors, sub-meters and a central automation and control system will enable continuous monitoring and analysis of energy consumption, allowing the various technical systems to be optimally coordinated. The jury particularly praised the combination of conventional refurbishment measures with an intelligent digital infrastructure. As the swimming pool belongs to a standardised building type, the concept also has the potential to be replicated at comparable municipal facilities.

Following their selection, both teams can now prepare funding applications for the subsequent BUILD and OPERATE phases. During the BUILD phase, the modernisation concepts are to be implemented as part of research and development projects. This will be followed by the OPERATE phase, which will focus on optimising day-to-day operations, supported by overarching monitoring to evaluate the results achieved. ■