Pools and spas can be modelled in the Pool section of the Appliances tab, and must be modelled for a NatHERS Whole of Home rating if shown on the plans.
In NatHERS Whole of Home it is solely the pool pump electricity usage that is calculated and considered, with pool heating and any auxiliary energy from treatment systems ignored. Pool heating is reportedly being considered for future inclusion in the scheme.
A Dwelling can have multiple different pool systems added (e.g. for pools and spas) as well as multiple systems per dwelling for multi-dwelling projects (see General WoH appliances) if the pool systems vary across dwellings.
1 - Add / Delete Pool system
By default no pools are added to a dwelling when the Appliances setting is turned on, and you can add as many pool systems as required (a system being a pool or spa + it's pump). Remove unnecessary systems using the delete button.
2 - Regulated Load
Pool and/or Spa pump energy is one of the Regulated Loads that does contribute to the NatHERS Whole of Home rating.
3 - Area or Volume Entry selector
Select Area to derive the Pool volume by Area x Height, or select Volume to just enter Pool volume directly.
4 - Area entry
Enter the area (in m2) and height (in m) of the pool to then derive the pool volume which is the main metric used for pool energy calculations.
5 - Volume entry
Enter the volume of the pool or spa (in L) which is the main metric used for pool energy calculations. The area will adjust accordingly to ensure a reasonable estimate of area and height and can be safely ignored.
6 - Pump Type
You must select the type of Pump that is connected to the Pool or Spa.
Pool Pumps circulate the water in a pool through a system of filters and treatment facilities and can be substantial consumers of electricity.
The main types of pumps available on the market are Single Speed, Multi Speed & Variable Speed, with a small number of Dual Speed pumps.
Because the pump flow or speed and it's energy have a cubic relationship, a lowering of pumping speed and operating the pump for a longer period of time can have significantly less energy than running a pump at a higher speed for shorter periods of time (whilst overall circulating the same volume of water), which is a benefit of multi-speed or variable-speed pumps.
A Single Speed pump has been the most common pump used in Australia for many years, and as it's name implies operates at a single pumping speed.
Multi speed pumps allow users to vary the speed across a range of settings (e.g. typically from low to medium to high or just low to high for dual speed pumps) and thereby achieve greater energy savings.
Variable speed pumps are similar and are usually defined as being able to automatically adjust their pump speed according to conditions and requirements.
In NatHERS, Multi-speed pumps and Variable Speed pumps have been considered as having the same efficiency and are considered the same in Hero, however in the GEMS star-rating scheme, variable speed pumps are generally the higher efficiency.
7 - Pump Efficiency & Energy Rating
Select the Energy Rating of the Pool or Spa pump connected to the Pool.
If you are unaware of the energy rating of the pump, you can leave the defaults in place.
The current NatHERS default energy ratings are:
- 1-star for a Single Speed pump;
- 3-stars for a Dual Speed pump; and
- 5-stars for a Variable Speed pump.
There is a significant variety of energy ratings available on the market across all types and so entering the actual pump rating that is going to be installed may be beneficial to provide a more accurate prediction and potentially improve the WoH Rating.
GEMS Pool Pump Energy Rating labels
Pool Pumps are covered by the GEMS Star-Rating scheme and therefore must meet minimum performance standards and carry a Energy Rating label.
You can search for the Energy Rating and Pump Type of all the pool pumps available in Australia at the energyrating.gov.au website.
8 - Pool Results
As per all Appliance categories, the individual results of the Pool systems are shown in each section along with the percentage impact of Pools to the overall Operational Energy, Running-Cost and Operational Emissions of the Project. You can hide this Category Result in the Settings section of the Appliance View.
9 - Pool Comments
As per all Appliance categories, you can add your own comments, description, recommendations or explanations to the Pool section to include in your report exports. You can hide this Comments section in the Settings section of the Appliance View.
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