Rushcliffe Borough Council (RBC) has been awarded £1.2 million to reduce carbon emissions at the Cotgrave Leisure Centre, with plans to harness solar PV modules and air-source heat pumps.
The funding was allocated under the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. RBC also secured £250,000 from the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport via its Swimming Pool Support Fund, administered by Sport England.
As part of the initiative, solar PV modules will be installed on the leisure centre’s roof. These modules are projected to generate up to 55,000kWh of electricity annually, translating to savings of up to £25,000 on running costs.
The installation of solar PV modules is part of RBC’s broader strategy to modernise the Cotgrave Leisure Centre, focusing on sustainability and energy efficiency. As such, the centre will also install low-carbon air-source heat pumps.
These units, fuelled by renewable energy, will increase the energy efficiency of heating the swimming pool and surrounding areas with an expected 250% to 300% efficiency.
Rushcliffe Borough Council’s cabinet portfolio holder for Leisure and Wellbeing, ICT, and Member Development, councillor Jonathan Wheeler, believes the development and inclusion of solar PV will help the council achieve its environmental goals and become carbon neutral by 2030.
“The additional funding we’ve secured for decarbonisation and solar energy means we can make great strides towards our environmental goals to operate as a carbon neutral council by 2030,” Wheeler said.
“In total, we’re investing £5.2 million in these refurbishments and energy efficient upgrades over the next two years, which will enhance the quality of the facilities for residents and visitors and increase its sustainability.”
Work on the solar PV installation and heat pumps will begin in Spring 2025.
Leisure centres turn to solar PV
In April 2024, Worcester City Council was awarded £195,000 from the UK government’s Swimming Pool Support Fund, much like RBC, to add solar modules to the roof of Perdiswell Leisure Centre.
The PV modules will be installed by March 2025 alongside a unit that will use excess power produced during the summer months to heat water for the showers, fans that will recirculate warm air to reduce heating demand, and an energy-efficient water recovery system that will clean and reuse water.
Alongside this, West Lindsey District Council had been allocated £401,500 to install 545 solar PV modules at its leisure centre, saving 221MWh of annual energy production. This was allocated under the Swimming Pool Support Fund in its second phase.
