PUBLIC SWIMMING POOLS heated by the energy emitted by a fridge-size computer data centre… sounds like an ecological dream, doesn’t it? 

Thanks to a firm called Deep Green, Britain’s first digital boiler, is already heating a local authority-owned pool in Devon free of charge.

Interest has been shown by councils from around the UK. Hackney, however, is not among them: if its response to Loving Dalston’s enquiry is anything to go by, it is merely going through the motions of showing interest. 

This site last week told Hackney environment councillor Mete Coban of the development. His less than enthusiastic response was that he had heard of it and had “flagged it with the team to explore”. Repetitiously, he added, “we (his choice of personal pronoun)” have asked the team to investigate”.

Deep Green’s founder Mark Bjornsgaard told BBC Radio 4 his firm built a small data centre in Exmouth leisure centre. Unlike with most data centres, the heat the computers generated was not wasted but captured and given “free to the swimming pool” to heat the water.

Perhaps Hackney’s response to the ecological breakthrough is because it is preoccupied with an ambitious London Fields Lido expansion project it is promoting to a surprised public.

Having closed the toddlers’ pool, the council wants to build a 25m learner pool within a new complex on the eastern side of the lido. And that will cost a lot more than a digital boiler to heat the 50m outdoors pool, and the borough’s other public baths. 

Shame  — swimmers, and not just those using the lido, would like pool temperatures to hit more than the chilly 22C that it often feels like since power costs rose so dramatically. 

David Altheer 230323

* To put your views on the learner-pool proposal, press here. You may wish to use the comment section to include your view on the heating possibilities reported above. Thanks to Apella Advisors for graphic.

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* Backstory: London Fields Lido lights up; Hackney pulls plug on Haggy Baths hopes; Hackney chronicler wades in to save baths; Investors flood in for pool; Hackney washes its hands of heritage site; Wetsuits in Hackney lido; London Fields hipster heaven costs council £140,000

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