Merrill fitness club uses sunlight to warm pool

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

A story by Amy Olson in the Wausau Daily Herald reports on a solar water heating project supported in part by Focus on Energy:

As a child, Paul Kienitz and his family heated their house with wood and grew their own vegetables. Now, the owner of Riverside Athletic Club in Merrill is heating its pool by harvesting sunlight.

Kienitz opened his fitness club 25 years ago. In 2002, he added a pool and whirlpool.

He had long thought about ways to save energy after the addition was built. The 60-foot long pool alone holds 50,000 gallons of water, and the whirlpool holds 800 gallons, Kienitz said. Add in showers for the 250 to 300 people who use Riverside Athletic Club each day, and you get a hefty utility bill.

In March, he installed solar panels with the help of a grant from Focus on Energy, a program that works with Wisconsin business owners and residents to boost energy efficiency and support renewable energy projects.