The swimming pool at the Preston Center is going green.

No, not the color, but the sustainable practice.

Soon, the pool will be heated by energy from the sun, with 88 solar collectors installed on the roof of the Preston Center, according to a press release issued today.

The collectors will use a heat exchanger to transfer the sun’s heat to the pool water, according to the press release.

Adding the solar collectors will reduce the amount of natural gas needed for maintaining the pool’s 80-83 degree temperature, saving at least $10,963 annually, according to the press release.

The $96,410 project is expected to pay for itself in just under nine years, according to the press release.

The project is one of the energy-reducing improvements to campus facilities that are underway as part of a $9.7 million Energy Savings Performance Contract with Johnson Controls, according to the press release.