Amaliada Outdoor Swimming Pool 

Landmark Sports Facility Powered by Geothermal and Solar Energy

The city of Amaliada is now home to one of the most advanced sports facilities in Greece, distinguished by its extensive use of renewable energy sources.

The project was successfully implemented by CALDA ENERGY S.A., a pioneer in geothermal systems with more than 2 MW of installed geothermal capacity over the past two years, through the parallel installation of two low-noise geothermal heat pumps from the Italian manufacturer AERMEC, NXW series, with a total installed thermal capacity of 870 kW, at the Amaliada Outdoor Swimming Pool.

The new Olympic-size outdoor swimming complex was inaugurated on Sunday, September 29, 2013, fulfilling a long-standing vision for the region spanning over a decade. The swimming pool is part of a broader athletic center that includes two football fields (main and auxiliary), two indoor basketball–volleyball courts, an Olympic-size pool measuring 25 m × 50 m, and a children’s pool. The facility is fully equipped with adult and children’s changing rooms, accessibility features for people with disabilities, a sauna, medical room, theoretical training classroom, and dedicated spaces for administrative and technical personnel.

This landmark project represents a technological innovation for public buildings in Greece, serving as a demonstration and educational center for the promotion and dissemination of renewable energy technologies to students, academic institutions, and technical professionals. To meet the energy demands of the swimming facility, the design incorporates a hybrid system combining solar thermal energy and low-enthalpy geothermal energy, utilizing open-loop vertical geothermal heat exchangers.

The system provides heating for the Olympic-size pool through a stainless-steel plate heat exchanger, while during periods of reduced demand, the hydraulic configuration allows for simultaneous heating of the children’s pool. The total project budget amounted to €600,000 and was financed by the Green Fund.

This installation is the first swimming pool facility in Europe to cover such a large proportion of its energy needs through solar and geothermal energy, minimizing the use of fossil fuels. The quantitative benefits of the applied technologies are substantial, with energy savings of up to 70% compared to conventional systems, an estimated payback period of approximately four years, and a significantly reduced environmental footprint.