Leisure centres in Fenland have been given an energy efficiency makeover as part of Fenland District Council’s work to cut energy use, reduce carbon emissions, and tackle climate change.
New energy systems and energy saving measures have been rolled-out across the district’s four New Vision Fitness leisure centres.
The aim is to save energy and cut energy costs in order to protect leisure services and reduce the carbon footprint.
The £800,000 upgrade will reduce the centres’ carbon emissions by 281 tonnes a year, a reduction of 21 per cent across the four sites.
It will cut the annual energy bill by a third - saving around £100,000 a year – on top of significant operational maintenance savings.
Councillor Michelle Tanfield, Fenland District Council’s portfolio holder for leisure, said: “The RE:FIT programme is the largest energy conservation project ever to be undertaken by the council, demonstrating our commitment to the environment and signalling a new approach to reducing both our energy use and energy bills.
“The retrofit will help protect us against rising energy costs, reduce maintenance costs and improve our energy efficiency rating while also ensuring our residents can enjoy efficient, reliable leisure services on their doorstep.”
“The project is a great example of what is possible when several bodies from the public sector work together with a key supplier from the private sector.”
Miles Messenger, energy engineering manager at Bouygues Energies & Services, said: “We are really pleased to work with Fenland District Council in delivering their strategic goals to reduce carbon, save money and improve their leisure centre assets.
“This ambitious project combined low-carbon and renewable energy generation with energy efficiency technology to deliver a significant improvement in energy performance.”
With busy facilities including three large swimming pools, and early to late opening seven days a week, the leisure centres represent the council’s largest energy consumer by some margin.
And with some plant equipment reaching the end of its life, a different approach to managing maintenance costs, as well as their energy consumption, was needed.
The new systems, including combined heat and power, plant equipment and energy management systems, will improve service reliability for users who may also notice the addition of solar panels on the roofs of the buildings and new LED lighting within the centres.
The works have taken place over the last nine months.
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