John Barnes knows what plagues his customers. After more than 30 years in the pool industry, the owner of VIP Pools Inc. in Four Oaks, N.C. says the biggest problem that people in his area have is the high price of heating a pool.

"I listened to the concerns that current homeowners had about the cost to maintain the pool, asking how to keep the ‘season’ going when the weather got cooler,” Barnes said. "I saw an advertisement [for the technology] and decided that it was worth the investment.”

Barnes was referring to a new niche in the pool market: In-ground concrete insulated structures that use foam wall panels to naturally keep water temperatures 10 to 20 degrees warmer than traditional pools. Imported from Australia in the late 1990s, the technology has undergone strength and durability testing and has been available in the United States for four years.

"I think it’s going to capture a decent portion of the market, especially for the people who are willing to spend the money on the quality pool,” said Mike Nanay, owner of 123 Pools Inc. in Schererville, Ind. He has built two pools with the help of Barnes and said that he’s received a 20 percent increase in telephone inquiries since adopting the technology a year ago.

"It’s 70- to 80 percent off the heating costs for an average pool. The reward is that these pools will be used slightly longer in our neck of the woods than they currently are,” Nanay said.

Traditionalists won’t be easily converted, but they don’t have to be, said Richard Rowland, principal owner and CEO of Aussie Pools in Sacramento, Calif. A builder who installs between 40 and 50 of the "thermal shell” pools each year, he noted that "pool builders don’t like to change what they’re doing. When something new comes along, they’re skeptical. But in the future, they’re going to literally have no choice because of energy prices.”

"The difference is that you’ve literally installed an R-48 insulated value wall in the ground,” Rowland said. "That’s the resistance factor to cold or heat. An average home in California has an R-28 value. You would have to have a 10-foot-thick concrete wall to get that same level of insulation in the pool.”

Warranties on the pools vary depending on builder, but Rowland claims that because foam is non-biodegradable, the wall structure has a 150-year lifespan. That makes it ideal for regions with a lot of earth movement, such as California.

"The ground temperature around a pool will average 56 degrees. In the Northeast, the ground freezes 3 or 4 feet deep,” Rowland said. "You can’t keep the gunite warm. But with our pools, people are swimming from April to October without heating them.”

Some states even offer governmental rebates for using products that save energy. That can be a great promotional tool for a builder looking to appeal to environmentally conscientious consumers. In warmer climates, the foam works in reverse, keeping pool water cooler for a longer period of time.
"In my opinion, the [insulated] pool has unlimited potential … and offers higher profit margins,” said Barnes, who has built several insulated pools and spas throughout North Carolina and Illinois.
Still, the technology is relatively new and not very widespread. That doesn’t faze Rowland, who sees great potential. "New and innovative technologies are out there,” he said. "There really have not been any pool structural changes in terms of how to build the pools for 15 to 20 years. That’s quite awhile really, so we’re coming along and saying, ‘Look there’s a better way to do this.’”