Veenendaal swimming pools
De Vallei swimming pools in Veenendaal is the first project where a pool area has been equipped with LED lighting that is ‘swimming pool-proof
"People ask us if we have put new water in the pool.”
A ‘first’
TechTron Group BV provides total solutions in electrotechnical and industrial areas. Themes such as “energy monitoring”, “workplace of the future” or “lighting for industry and government” are central to the quarterly workshops the company organises with entrepreneurs. “A few years ago, one of these meetings brought us in touch with Sportservice Veenendaal,” says Henk de Man, Account Manager at TechTron and also a recognised Philips LED Expert. “After a lengthy preparatory phase, we have recently been able to equip one of their properties, De Vallei swimming pools, with a first: a pool area equipped with “swimming pool-proofed” LED lighting, thanks to a special coating that protects against specific environmental corrosives, such as water vapour, chlorine and cleaning products.”
Possible variations
De Vallei swimming centre has indoor and outdoor pools for sports and recreational activities. Regular themed activities are held; disco swimming, ghost swimming and ladies’ night in the combined multipurpose and competition pool. Above this pool, 68 conventional fixtures were originally installed. These were removed and replaced with 35 GentleSpace gen2 luminaires fitted with motion detection and a dimming system. De Man explains that the light output reduces to 10% of its capacity when no one is present. This provides an energy saving of 50%. After 10 minutes of absence, the lighting switches off completely and will immediately switch on again when motion is detected. This flexibility does not just provide additional energy savings. “Where the choice of lighting was previously ‘on’ or ‘off’, now variation in lighting levels is possible. Depending on the swimming activity, light levels can be boosted or reduced. It also saves hugely on maintenance costs. Previously, the lights had to be replaced once every two years, for which the pool had to be emptied of water. That will no longer be necessary for the first 10 years.”
Better view
A smaller GentleSpace variant was chosen for the teaching pool. Because of a folding wall, which divides the pool in two when required, the lighting had to be replaced one-on-one. This helped the even distribution of light. “Another advantage of LED lighting is the cool lighting color and uniform distribution. There is reduced glare on the water,” says De Man. “As a result, the pool staff have a better view. Another benefit is that the managers of the drowning detection system report sharper images on the underwater cameras.”
New water?
Frank Hafkamp, director of Sportservice Veenendaal, freely admits that the decision to change to the new lighting system was not made overnight. “I am extremely pleased with the result. De Vallei swimming pools saves substantially on energy usage and material costs, and it is also better suited to the needs of our customers. We switch to brighter lighting for water polo matches, for example, and dim the lights when more atmosphere is needed. The reactions of the people in the pool? The one I like best is when people ask if we have new water in the pool!”