With the current environmental concern regarding energy generation and consumption, the efficient use of energy to reduce demand without losing system function is receiving renewed interest and focus. One of the major consumers of energy in a domestic situation is the humble pool pump. Many installations have multiple pumps and pool energy use accounts for more then 3% of domestic energy use annually in Australia, despite only about 10% of households owning a pool. Numerous studies have examined the energy savings possible by slowing pump speeds and flow rates due to the energy flow cube rule relationship. This study aims at examining the domestic pool installation as a complete system in terms of energy use to determine what degree of energy savings is achievable in practice while still maintaining acceptable system performance. The study will examine the impact of reduced energy use and flow on filtering functionality and water quality, solar heater effectiveness and pool temperature combined with passive measures such as pool blankets, automated pool chlorinators and automated pool cleaners. A minimum energy requirement will be determined that maintains overall system functionality over a range of typical scenarios of use.