Energy solutions for sports centres, leisure centres, and gyms in Sussex
Energy solutions for sports centres, leisure centres, and gyms in Sussex
Sports and leisure centres have some of the highest energy costs of any business, with a combined annual cost of £938 million.
Power hungry fitness equipment, expansive facilities, long opening hours, and the need to maintain comfort for members mean energy costs have a big impact on profitability. And things will only get worse as gas prices continue to rise around the world.
Add to this the increasing expectation for gyms and sports facilities to become more environmentally sustainable, and facilities managers have a real challenge on their hands.
As a trusted social enterprise who can provide fully-funded solar for sports and leisure centres, BHESCo offer an easy, risk-free pathway towards lower bills and energy security.
By partnering with BHESCo to introduce a modern, data-driven energy performance strategy with on-site renewable energy, sports and leisure centres across Sussex can drive down costs and carbon emissions for decades ahead.
. . .
How sports and leisure centres can reduce energy bills with solar PV
Introducing on-site solar power is the quickest and easiest way for leisure facilities to save money on energy bills.
By working with BHESCo, sports centres can install solar power for no upfront cost and absolutely no risk.
The benefits of BHESCo-funded solar panels include:
Instantly lower energy bills
Your leisure centre buys electricity from the solar panels at a cost that is significantly cheaper than the electricity provided by your energy supplier.
Energy security
You are protected from the ups and downs of energy markets. The price you pay is fixed for the length of the contract (usually 25 years).
Option to add battery storage
Get even bigger savings by adding a battery. As well as letting you store solar energy, you can also charge the battery with cheap grid electricity through a ‘Time of Use’/ ‘Smart’ tariff.
Great PR for your business
Differentiate yourself from competitors by demonstrating your commitment to sustainability.
Introduce low-carbon heating to your sports centre
Sports and leisure facilities must maintain a comfortable temperature all year round, especially if there’s a swimming pool.
Historically, these buildings have relied on large gas boilers to provide heating and hot water, but modern low-carbon technologies can provide both heating and cooling options for less cost and much less carbon.
Air to air heat pumps
Air to air heat pumps provide low-carbon heating in winter and air-conditioning in summer.
When combined with solar PV and battery storage they can provide a very cheap source of heating and cooling.
Hot air/ cold air is delivered throughout the building by indoor fan units
[image left: An air-to-air heat pump funded, owned, and operated by BHESCo at a facility in Plumpton Green].
Air to water heat pumps
Air to water heat pumps can be used to provide hot water to swimming pools and showers as well as providing heat to rooms through radiators or underfloor heating systems.
They can be combined with solar PV and battery storage to deliver additional cost-efficiencies.
[image left: An air-to-water heat pump, funded, owned and operated by BHESCo at a spa and yoga studio in Lewes].
Demonstrating climate leadership
By taking action on energy performance, you are reducing the climate impact of your business, demonstrating social and environmental leadership. Positive action on reducing carbon emissions is increasingly appealing to investors, customers and employees and can attract funds, revenue and staff to your business.
Tackling climate change is a seen as a top priority by more people than at any other time in history, especially in Brighton and Hove. In response to the climate emergency, customers expect the businesses they patronise to be actively engaged in taking measures to minimise the environmental impact of their operations.
Younger generations in particular have demonstrated a willingness to support businesses who have shown transparency and ambition as regards a carbon emissions reduction strategy, even when that means paying a little extra.
What typical upgrades can be made to improve the energy performance of sports and leisure centres in Sussex?
Alongside the high levels of energy consumption experienced by fitness centres comes an abundance of opportunities for potential improvement.
The best solution to reducing energy demands and associated costs will differ from facility to facility, but with most sports and leisure centres we can identify the following common areas where simple upgrades can deliver significant impact:
Heating and ventilation
Optimising the heating and ventilation provision should be your number one focus will make a big impact on both affordability and member experience.
According to a study by The Carbon Trust, air-conditioning and ventiliation alone accounts for 39% of the energy costs of a leisure centre with a pool, so its essential to eliminate costly inefficiencies wherever possible.
Sports centres are enjoyed by diverse groups from across all ages of society for activities varying from team sports to fitness and wellbeing classes. For this reason, it is imperative that the temperature can be quickly and easily adjusted to cater for specific customer needs.
It is also important to deliver different heat loads to seperate areas of the building depending on their use. For example, cafe and reception areas will require a different temperature compared to a sports hall or changing rooms.
Does your heating system employ modern technologies like individual heat zone controls, smart thermostats and data-driven heat demand management? Have you considered the efficiency gains to be achieved from installing air or ground source heat pumps?
Energy management technology
We are big believers in the idea that ‘what’s measured can be managed’.
Integrating remote monitoring and controls will enable facilities managers to continually gather and analyse data about a building’s energy use, adjusting heat and lighting settings in reaction to the information available, and creating a business case for the adoption of new measures where necessary.
Collecting accurate data on electricity consumption patterns can enable facilities managers to identify periods of peak and low use, and to use these conclusions to set programmable power-timers to switch fitness machines on or off at pre-determined intervals.
Designing an energy efficient lighting system
Lighting accounts for 20% of the total energy costs of sports facilities and gyms.
Replacing an existing lighting system with modern LED equivalents will deliver an instant reduction in electricity costs. LEDs provide 90% greater efficiency compared to flourescent tube lighting, and have a considerably longer lifespan, saving time and hassle on maintenance in the long-term.
LED lighting also offers a faster start-up and less glare, and can be easily connected to dimming controls and motion sensor timers.
In some parts of the building, such as hallways or changing booths there is no need for lights to be left on continually. Adding motion sensors to turn lights on automatically whenever an employee is in the vicinity will cut down on waste and can achieve savings of up to 30%.
On site renewable energy generation
Sports and recreation centres make excellent candidates for solar PV because of the large surface area of their roof. This provides ample space to install a solar PV array with enough generation capacity to meet a significant proportion of the facility’s electricity demand.
As an additional bonus, sports halls or swimming pools are often much taller than neighbouring buildings, meaning solar panels will not be obscured by shading which can impede performance.
Being able to generate your own solar electricity can deliver tremendous cost-reductions when compared to the price of purchasing electricity from a commercial supplier.
The addition of battery storage techologies provides a greater reliance of supply as well as offering potential new revenue streams, as any excess electricity generated by solar panels can be stored for use at a later time, or sold to the energy grid or to neighbours.
Battery storage technology will also enable users to take advantage of new ‘flexible’ energy tariffs, where electricity prices fluctuate throughout the day in response to changing levels of generation and demand throughout the country.
So, if you’re ready to take action, what should you do next?
In Brighton and Hove, gyms and fitness centres are based in a wide variety of buildings. Some are relatively new, some are very old, and each will require a unique approach when it comes to maximising energy performance.
The best way to start is with an energy survey that will examine the particular characteristics of your property and identify the most effective and economically advantageous solutions.
To identify opportunities for improving the energy performance of any sports centre or gym premises it is vital to gain a thorough understanding of energy demand and consumption patterns.
For this reason, a bespoke BHESCo energy survey should be the first phase of any planned building improvements, underpinning every other stage of your future energy strategy.
Our bespoke energy survey will provide a thorough and detailed examination of every aspect involved with heating and powering your fitness facility.
Our Energy Saving Team will conduct an on-site survey to capture all relevant data, using FLIR thermal imaging software where neccessary. We will analyse your energy bill data to gain an understanding of your energy usage and to identify if waste is occuring and where performance can be improved.
Our Energy Saving Team will produce a detailed report recommending the most cost-effective solutions to remedy areas of significant heat loss and energy waste.
Our report will also measure and compare the anticipated reduction in demand that we can expect from installing different types of energy saving and/ or energy generating technologies.
In this way we can make conclusions about which combination of technologies will best meet the heat and power requirements of your fitness facility, as well as being able to provide upfront cost and future savings projections to help you make the best decision.
The importance of buy-in from staff
In order to gain maximum benefit from any physical energy efficiency improvements that are made to your sports centre, it’s vital that you have the support and co-operation of your staff and fitness instructors.
Educating staff on effective energy management and efficient behaviours will help to embed sustainability practice into your business. When staff have a good understanding of the financial and environmental benefits of the improvements, they will be better placed and more emotionally invested in supporting efforts to reduce energy consumption.
As well as reducing costs, encouraging staff to reduce energy consumption within yuor leisure centre demonstrates environmental responsibility and shows leadership within the wider community.
Case Studies
Year: 2019
Technology Installed:
22kW air source heat pump, LED lighting, 7 x smart thermostats, 7 x extractor fans, heat zone controls
Lifetime Financial Saving: £25,525
Lifetime CO2 Saving: 336 tonnes
Horsham Bowls Club, Horsham
Year: 2018
Technology Installed:
762 LED lamps
2 x high efficiency boilers
Lifetime Financial Saving: £517,695
Lifetime CO2 Saving: 386 tonnes
Marina Dance Studio, Brighton
Year: 2019
Technology Installed:
57 LED lamps
2 x aluminium panel heaters
Lifetime Financial Saving: £15,485
Lifetime CO2 Saving: 11 tonnes
Funding Your Energy Saving Measures
At BHESCo we understand that the upfront cost of installing energy saving measures for your business or organisation can be expensive.
That’s why we make our innovative ‘Pay As You Save’ financing available to all of our customers.
We cover the upfront project cost on your behalf which is then paid back over time using a portion of the savings achieved on your monthly energy bills. Once our loan is repaid you become the owner of your energy saving measures and will enjoy 100% of the savings for the lifetime of the equipment.
Frequently Asked Questions
We make our Energy Saving Service available to everyone in the community whether they are a member of BHESCo or not.
Many BHESCo customers go on to become members but this is not a prerequisite.
We make our Pay As You Save financing available so that every property in Sussex can make the transition to clean renewable energy without the burden of providing the upfront project costs.
If your organisation or business is able to and would prefer to finance your energy saving/ renewable energy technologies upfront then that is absolutely fine.
Your Energy Saving Report includes details of all the ways you are wasting heat and energy in addition to our suggestions of how to address any issues with the most cost-effective solutions available.
Our suggested energy efficiency/ energy generation measures include details of typical upfront costs and anticipated payback time, as well as the expected financial and carbon reducing benefits.
It is preferable that our energy surveyors are able to view each room of the property including loft space, so some clearance may be required if necessary.
It is also beneficial to have access to any meters, boilers, or hot water controls.
A copy of your most recent gas and electric bill is essential for helping us to understand your energy use and current costs.
Introduce low-carbon heating to your sports centre
Running a succesful sports centre or gym requires managing an extensive array of energy intensive facilities ranging from electrical fitness equipment to a swimming pool or jacuzzi. This is in addition to day to day lighting, heating and ventilation demands of the property.
Consequently, the energy consumption of sports and leisure centres is considerable. In the UK the annual financial cost of energy associated with sports and recreational centres is £938 million.
Research carried out by the University of Cardiff found that energy costs in the sector are second only to labour costs, and can account for as much as 30% of the total operational costs of the facility1.
Installing carefully selected energy saving or energy generating technologies will deliver instant advantages to your facility, for example:
- An energy efficient building is more comfortable for your employees and members, driving up productivity and enhancing your reputation.
- Money saved on energy can be used in areas that improve employee loyalty such as training and benefits or to boost revenue through marketing campaigns and product development.
- If you own your premises and are able to generate your own renewable energy (from solar panels for example) you’ll make significant savings compared to buying from a supplier and will increase the value of your property. You may also open up new revenue streams by selling excess electricity to energy suppliers, via peer to peer trading or through electric vehicle charging.
- A careful considered energy policy focused on reducing the environmental impact of your business will also prepare you for the UK’s transition to a carbon neutral future and signal to your staff and customers that your organisation is committed to advancing social impacts beyond your core services.
Project Contact Form
If you are interested in taking action to reduce the energy costs and environmental impact of your sports centre of leisure facility in Sussex then leave your contact details below and our Projects Team will get back to you within the next few working days.
References
1 – ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN LEISURE CENTRES – A COMPARATIVE STUDY – https://www.jstor.org/stable/44396899?seq=1