Solar panels successfully installed at Woodside Leisure Centre in Watford
We are thrilled to announce that 655 solar panels have now been successfully installed at Woodside Leisure Centre.
🌞 This milestone marks a significant step forward in Watford Borough Council’s commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2030.
🤝This project was made possible thanks to a £400,000 grant from Sport England’s Swimming Pool Support Fund, and Leisure Energy played a key role in securing the funding and overseeing the installation process.
These solar panels will bring enormous benefits to the leisure centre:
♻️ Save approximately 50 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually
💡 Reduce energy consumption at the leisure centre by 259.22 megawatt-hours
🌍 Provide clean energy and reduce energy bills
Energy saving upgrades are coming to Windsor Leisure Centre
Improving efficiency and cutting carbon emissions at Windsor Leisure Centre is central to the renovation plans that are now underway. The upgrades, include state-of-the art new heating and ventilation systems, led by as Principal Contractor on behalf of the council. The project will include removal of the gas boilers and the Combined Heat and Power unit that are at the end of their life, and the installation of a Net Zero Pod which contains air source heat pumps, roof mounted solar panels, replacement air handling, and a heat recovery system. This equipment will provide a more sustainable and economical building, and will significantly reduce the carbon emissions from the Centre.
The £6.3m project, the majority of which is funded by a successful bid for £5.4 million through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (administered by Salix), is one of the largest grants awarded for a single site in the country, and is projected to also save the council over £100,000 a year in utility costs.
The remaining £889,480 of funding for the project has come from the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead’s Carbon Offset Fund, containing ring-fenced funding for projects that reduce carbon emissions, that is made up of developers’ contributions.
Councillor Karen Davies, Cabinet member for Climate Change, Biodiversity and Windsor Town Council, said: “This exciting project allows us to renovate one of our most popular leisure centres, bring down energy costs and reduce our carbon footprint, all at no cost to our residents.
“We’re committed to creating a cleaner, greener borough and this is a great example of our continuing work with partners to provide a better experience whilst protecting our environment and reducing carbon emissions.”
Mike Worsnop, Strategic Director at said: “We are proud to have supported the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead with the successful PSDS 3c funding application of £6.3m for Windsor Leisure Centre, and to have been appointed Principal Designer and Contractor on the installation. We look forward to working with the Council to finalise the design and take the project forward to construction phase.”
Work is due to complete in 2026 and follows the recent announcement of a new 15-year contract, awarded by the council to Leisure Focus Trust, which will see improved spaces and activities delivered to residents at six Leisure Centres across the borough.
Saltburn Leisure Centre is going greener!
Work begins in March to install over 100 solar panels on Saltburn Leisure Centre in Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, reducing the building’s carbon footprint by approximately 10.5 tonnes of CO2 per year!
This project was made possible thanks to the £150k grant awarded by Sport England’s Swimming Pool Support Fund (phase 2) which helps make leisure centres more energy efficient across the country.
Leisure Energy will be delivering the works on this project which will help to build a greener future for the generations to come. Read more below on the Council’s website:
