Flicking the Switch part 1: Rising Costs and Consumption in the Leisure Industry Featured

Energy prices just seem to keep on rising. I'm not telling you anything you don't know there - especially if you work in the leisure industry. Electricity consumption is high (half hourly metering is required on some larger sites) and is seen as a particular area of interest where huge cost savings can be made alongside environmental commitments.

One of our projects from last year, for Halo Leisure in Herefordshire, is a good example of a leisure organisation looking to do just that. As a not-for-profit charity wielding an £800,000 energy bill across their nine centres, any potential financial saving in this area was welcome. Halo also have an ambitious energy reduction plan aiming to reduce their energy consumption by 30% by 2020 - which they are on course to do. The plan meant that Halo needed to make their leisure centres superbly energy efficient. They looked to employ passive infrared lighting, anti-glare film and to replace any old pumps with new, efficient ones. They also considered renewable energy sources but barriers such as cost and the fact they leased their premises had seemed insurmountable.

Renewables and the Leisure Industry

Renewable energy generation, in combination with energy efficiency measures, is now a step beyond being merely a Carbon Reduction Commitment. For sites with high consumption, building these elements into an overall energy provision package is a big factor in insulating organisations from future price rises by taking ownership of their energy generation. Using technologies like solar PV to provide energy, they can ensure a stable supply of sun-powered energy for upwards of 50 years. These systems typically pay for themselves in 8-10 years; after which, this energy is free.

Andy Talbot, the head of technical services for Halo, put forward the idea of hosting a community-owned system. In this way, he could overcome the cost hurdle with a project that would also be very attractive to the local council, Halo's landlords. With the help of Sharenergy, who advise on community energy schemes, he was able to have a 50kWp solar PV system installed on the roof of the Halo Tennis hall back in December. Ninety seven local people own the system as members of the Leominster Community Solar Co-operative.

Since then, the meter readings have shown that Halo use 99% of the solar energy generated onsite, which they buy at a lower than market rate from the community group, reaping big energy savings. They've also reduced their CO2 emissions by 18 Tonnes a year.