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ASK THE EXPERTS
TOWARDS NET ZERO DARLASTON SWIMMING & FITNESS CENTRE | LEISURE ENERGY
288 solar panels were installed at Darlaston Swimming and Fitness Centre
Since 2014, renewable energy specialist Leisure Energy has supported leisure centres, sports facilities and swimming pools – primarily in the public sector – to become more economically and environmentally sustainable. “With councils across the UK working hard to reduce their carbon emissions, in line with their 2030 net zero targets, many are now rightly turning their attention to high energy-consuming public leisure centres,” explains Leisure Energy’s Mike Worsnop. “Sixty-eight per cent of England’s leisure centres were built over 20 years ago and are heated by fossil fuels; the application of energy-saving measures and the move away from gas boilers and similar has been limited.” He continues: “For each project, we appraise the whole building before recommending energy-saving solutions and renewable technologies. These typically reduce centres’ overall energy costs, but our motivation is also to help them transition from fossil fuels to net zero leisure facilities.
“Historically we’ve focused on lower investment measures with shorter payback, such as pool covers, LED lighting and so on. As the cost of solar PV and battery storage has become more affordable, this has also been a good solution to reduce consumption and costs. “More recently, aided by the financial impetus of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme [PSDS], we have supported over £100m of successful grant applications to move leisure centres, swimming pools and other public buildings from fossil fuels to heat pump technology – part of an electrification of these buildings using more renewable technologies.” Affordable decarbonisation In 2022, Leisure Energy supported the application and assessment process for Walsall Council, which received a £2.6m PSDS grant to implement a decarbonisation project at Darlaston Swimming and Fitness Centre. This included the installation of 288 solar panels and two air source heat pumps (ASHPs). Also installed were low- energy light fittings, smart meters, a reconditioned air
The new Net Zero Pod is a “packaged plant room” that sits outside a leisure centre
handling unit, an upgraded building management system and two new pool plate heat exchangers to interface with the existing swimming pool systems. Meanwhile, the centre’s three gas boilers were removed, resulting in an instant 100 per cent reduction in its gas usage – previously 2.1m kWh a year. “At the beginning of the project, we forecast annual emission savings of 420 tonnes of CO 2 ,” says Worsnop. “A recent council assessment shows this is being exceeded, which is great to hear, with revenue savings also reported as a result of the work we’ve completed.” Taking learnings from its projects to date, Leisure Energy is now rolling out a new Net Zero Pod: a secure, self- contained “packaged plant room” that sits outside the leisure centre.
“Built off-site in our Leisure Energy Technology Centre, Net Zero Pods use natural refrigerants and less electricity, making them significantly more efficient,” says Worsnop. “We’ve studied the best in the world and have created a solution that’s ideally suited to the leisure sector, including swimming pools.” Staffordshire Moorlands is the first council to benefit from the Net Zero Pod, part-funded through a £1.91m PSDS grant. It is forecast to save 228 tonnes of CO 2 annually and, combined with solar, is set to generate over £100k of annual revenue savings. “Further Pods are being rolled out in High Peak, Ashfield, Rushcliffe and Sandwell, to name just a few,” confirms Worsnop. “We’re excited to track the impact of this technology as we roll out affordable decarbonisation across the UK.”
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STATE OF THE UK FITNESS INDUSTRY REPORT 2023 STATE OF THE UK SWIMMING INDUSTRY REPORT 2024
STATE OF THE UK FITNESS INDUSTRY REPORT 2023
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STATE OF THE UK SWIMMING INDUSTRY REPORT 2024
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