Bath Sports & Leisure Centre is set to receive energy-saving enhancements through the installation of rooftop commercial solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. The project has been made possible by a successful funding application from Bath & North East Somerset Council.
The Council Secures £173,166 from SPSF
As reported by Solar Power Portal on Monday, Bath & North East Somerset Council secured £173,166 from Phase II (Capital) of the government’s Swimming Pool Support Fund (SPSF). This fund finances capital investments aimed at improving the energy efficiency of public facilities with pools.
Pending a roof assessment, a solar photovoltaic (PV) array of up to 212 kilowatt peak (kWp) will be installed on the central roof section of Bath Sports & Leisure Centre, which is managed by GLL. Approximately 124kWp is expected to meet the electricity demand for the swimming pools, while the surplus could potentially power future air source pumps as part of a broader decarbonisation strategy for the facility.
Solar Project to Reduce Carbon Dioxide Output
The installation of solar photovoltaic panels is projected to decrease carbon dioxide emissions by 23.04 tonnes and save £41,000 in energy costs annually.
Councillor Oli Henman, Cabinet Project Lead for Climate Emergency and Sustainability, welcomed the funding. “We are pleased to have secured this financial support, which will propel us forward in our mission to decarbonize our council buildings and foster renewable energy generation,
“It will reduce the building’s energy consumption and carbon footprint, helping us reach our Net Zero objective by 2030, along with our targets of achieving a minimum of 300MW district-wide renewable energy generation capacity and 12MW installed capacity on the corporate estate.”
Barnaby Rich, Partnership Manager at GLL—a charitable social enterprise managing Bath Sports and Leisure Centre for the council—also expressed appreciation for the funding from Sport England, highlighting its significant impact on the leisure centre.
He thanked Bath & North East Somerset Council for its support in securing the award, emphasizing that it will enable the centre to lower operating expenses and use sustainable energy. This aligns with GLL’s commitment to environmental stewardship and the council’s Carbon Net Zero objectives.
Over 700 Facilities Applied for Funds
Sport England administers the Swimming Pool Support Fund, supplementing the government’s £40 million SPSF capital fund with an additional £20 million in Lottery funding. Over 700 facilities submitted applications, requesting a total of four times the available funding.
Lisa Dodd-Mayne, Executive Director – Place at Sport England, emphasized the critical role that swimming pools and leisure centres play in communities, particularly in promoting physical activity. Acknowledging the challenges many pools are facing with rising energy costs and staffing shortages, she expressed pride in Sport England’s support during these tough times.
Dodd-Mayne hoped the funding announcement would enable more public pools to improve their energy efficiency, ensuring their environmental and financial sustainability for future generations.
SPSF Funds Solar Projects at Other Pools
The fund has helped numerous councils install PV modules on their community swimming pools and recreational facilities. For instance, Worcester City Council received £195,000 from the UK government’s SPSF to install solar panels on the roof of Perdiswell Leisure Centre.
Scheduled for installation by March 2025, the panels will be complemented by additional features. These include a system to use surplus summer power for heating shower water, fans to circulate warm air and reduce heating needs, and an energy-efficient water recovery system for cleaning and reusing water.
Additionally, the council secured an extra £59,750 from the SPSF on behalf of the Worcester Citizens’ Swimming Baths Association. This will fund the installation of solar panels and a building management system upgrade at the Lower Wick swimming pool in Worcester.
Similarly, West Lindsey District Council in Lincolnshire announced it had received £401,500 in government funding to install numerous solar panels at its leisure centre. This funding will be used to install 545 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof of the swimming pool, resulting in an annual energy saving of 221 MWh.