To save money, it appears more communities are considering alternatives for heating pool water.

In 2007, Connecticut state Sen. Thomas Gaffey (D-Meriden) secured funding for fuel cell technology to heat a new high school and pool. Others in the state have considered similar technology. Late last year, officials in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada, began considering geothermal energy to heat the local pool.

In Wayland, Mass., the Longfellow Club now has a solar hot water heating system for its pool. It’s expected to save the club more than $10,000 annually. According to estimates for the other projects, the new technologies could reduce expenses by half.