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Aquatic centres are often the highest energy-consuming assets for local councils. Vast amounts of energy are required to power a number of devices and provide a number of services:

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  • Heating water for the pool and for showers

  • Heating and cooling the indoor areas to maintain a comfortable temperature

  • Powering pool filtration pumps

  • Lighting for indoor and outdoor areas

  • Electrical appliances and equipment.

Swimming Pool

ENERGY USE IN AQUATIC CENTRES

Research and energy audits reveal a number of challenges that push up energy use which facility managers would be all too aware of:

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  • Enormous amounts of hot humid air leaving the building and being replaced by outdoor air that must be heated or cooled

  • Solar gain through the building fabric in hot weather

  • Heat from the active people using the facility

  • The accumulation of hot humid air and resulting condensation.

Breaking news! Congratulations to the 58 councils awarded a total of $50 million in grants through the Community Energy Upgrades Fund

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Congratulations to all the 58 Australian councils successful in their grant applications through the Australian Government's Community Energy Upgrades Fund. We were thrilled to see 20 of the successful projects are for aquatic centre electrification and energy upgrade projects, a total of more than $27 million in grants. Aquatic centres are often the highest energy-consuming assets for local councils, making them a major source of emissions and expense. After proposing support for aquatic centre electrification and upgrades to then-Assistant Minister, Jenny McAllister, in January 2023, we welcomed the launch of the Community Energy Upgrades Fund in December 2023.

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​​See the full list of grant recipients on the DCCEEW website.

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​​​ Applications for Round 2 of the Community Energy Upgrades Fund are now open 

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Local governments and joint local government bodies can apply for grants of between $25,000 and $2.5 million for energy efficiency and electrification upgrades of local government facilities. With up to $50 million available - grants will provide matched funding for projects such as:

 

  • replacing high energy use heating in council pools with energy saving heat pumps

  • installing energy efficient lighting at sporting fields, libraries and community centres

  • investing in other energy efficiency and electrification upgrades.


The CEUF is a merit-based, competitive grants program. Applicants that were unsuccessful in Round 1 are encouraged to re-apply. Please read the Guidelines carefully as they have been updated for Round 2. Applications will open 4 March 2025 and close 13 June 2025. Click here for grant guidelines and to submit applications.

Start your transition to heat pumps with our Heat Pump Estimator tool!

 

You can now use our expanded, updated and free online Heat Pump Estimator to access powerful information to support the transition from fossil gas heating to electric heat pumps.

 

The tool is designed to help users work out if a heat pump is suitable, providing estimates on energy performance and demand, emissions, spatial considerations, capital and operating costs, applicable white certificates and also what size (thermal capacity) could be considered to support the heat pump operation and enable load-flexing.

 

Just ten minutes and some basic site and heat use information is all that’s needed to generate an estimate to help initiate discussions internally and with suppliers and/or consultants.

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Access the Heat Pump Estimator

Aquatic centre energy upgrades capacity building program


In anticipation of the launch of the Australian Government’s $100 million Community Energy Upgrades Fund grant program, in 2023 A2EP (together with Sustainable Business consultancy) developed a series of webinars to build awareness, skills and knowledge of council staff to scope and support successful energy upgrades in local government aquatic centres. The webinars are also relevant to councillors, consultants, equipment providers, installers and others that help make energy upgrades happen.​

Image by Jonathan Chng
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Webinar 1: Case studies and stories – electrification projects you can learn from

Thursday 23 November 2023

Watch the webinar recording

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Webinar 2: Templates for feasibility studies – setting your project up for success

Thursday 30 November 2023

Watch the webinar recording

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Webinar 3: Upgrade economics and myth-busting - making your business case

Thursday 7 December 2023

Watch the webinar recording

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Webinar 4: Taking a deep dive into heat pumps

Thursday 8 February 2024

Watch the webinar recording

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Webinar 5: Commissioning and energy optimisation

Thursday 22 February 2024

Watch the webinar recording

Online council network meetings to support aquatic centre energy upgrades

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​We hosted five online network meetings for council officers looking to implement aquatic centre energy upgrades, particularly those looking to submit applications for the Community Energy Upgrade Fund.
 

MORE RESOURCES FOR THE ELECTRIFICATION AND DECARBONISATION OF AQUATIC CENTRES

​A2EP has developed a range of resources and tools to supporting councils, schools and hotels seeking to install heat pumps and/or improve overall energy performance of aquatic centres and large pools:
 

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Case studies:

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Resources from other organisations:

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Energy upgrade and certificate schemes:​

Related news and events:

Aquaticwebinarseries

ABOUT US >

A2EP is an independent, not-for-profit coalition of business and research leaders helping Australian businesses pursue a cleaner and more successful future by producing more with less energy.

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We acknowledge the traditional custodians across all the lands on which we live and work, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

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CONTACT >

T: +61 438 921 703

E: a2ep@a2ep.org.au

© 2025 by Australian Alliance for Energy Productivity

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ABN: 39 137 603 993

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