Leisure centre gets green energy boost with 762 new solar panels

We have successfully completed the installation of 762 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels at Hemel Hempstead Leisure Centre, in partnership with Leisure Energy and Everyone Active.

The project was funded through a £630,000 grant from Sport England’s Swimming Pool Support Fund. This Government fund is designed to help keep pools open in the face of financial challenges and provide assistance for longer-term projects to help reduce the future cost of energy.

Chief contractor at the site, Leisure Energy, played a key role in securing the funding and overseeing the installation.

The solar panels are projected to deliver substantial environmental benefits by saving approximately 57 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually, and reducing the electricity consumption from the grid by 294,030 kWh a year, equivalent to the planting of more than 2,612 trees.

This installation highlights considerable progress in our commitment to achieving net zero as an organisation by 2030 and net zero as a borough by 2050.

These improvements will allow Everyone Active, who operate Hemel Hempstead Leisure Centre on our behalf, to provide a more sustainable and efficient facility and continue to support the health and wellbeing of the community.

Cllr Caroline Smith-Wright, our Portfolio Holder for Transformation (People and Climate and Ecological Emergency), said: “This installation marks an important phase in our efforts to reduce our facility's carbon footprint. This impressive achievement aligns with our climate emergency declaration and represents another significant step toward towards meeting our net-zero ambitions.

“These solar panels will enable our partner, Everyone Active, to continue to maintain our public swimming services. This positively contributes to our residents' health and wellbeing, and provides local school children with the chance to learn how to swim.”

Steve Cox, Everyone Active’s Area Contract Manager, said: “It is great news that these investments will reduce the centre’s carbon footprint going forward. Everyone Active is proud to work alongside Dacorum Borough Council to help achieve our company’s net zero ambitions.”

Leisure Energy's Mike Worsnop said: “We provided technical support and expertise to Dacorum Borough Council and our strategic partner, Everyone Active. This enabled the Council to secure a Sport England grant for solar panels at the leisure centre. We are delighted to have been appointed as principal contractor to deliver the project and to help the Council to continue to provide a much-loved community facility. The centre will now be more economically and environmentally sustainable for future generations.”