A Leisure Centre became home to the second largest rooftop solar scheme on any council building in its borough. Delivered by Carbon3 in partnership with our community energy partner, the project demonstrated how local authorities, community energy groups, and delivery partners can work together to accelerate the transition to clean energy.
The scheme saw 220 solar panels installed on the leisure centre’s standing seam roof, delivering 99kWp of renewable generation capacity. The completed installation is expected to save approximately 241 tonnes of carbon over its lifetime, reducing the building’s reliance on grid electricity while supporting the council’s wider net zero ambitions.
Leisure centres are also some of the most energy hungry buildings in the public estate, meaning decarbonising these as a matter of priority can make a large difference to the carbon output of a borough quickly.
A different approach to solar delivery
Unlike a traditional council-funded solar project, the scheme was developed through a community energy model. The leisure centre’s leaseholder now purchases the electricity generated by the solar array, benefiting from a reliable source of locally generated, low-carbon energy.
Carbon3’s in-house design team developed a mounting solution specifically suited to the standing seam roof, enabling the array to be installed without unnecessary roof penetrations while ensuring long-term performance and reliability.
More than solar
The benefits of the project extend well beyond carbon reduction and lower energy costs. Surplus income generated by the scheme supports a dedicated Community Benefit Fund, helping to finance local sustainability and community initiatives across the borough.
The project also created opportunities for local residents to invest directly in renewable energy through a community share offer, enabling greater community ownership of clean energy infrastructure and ensuring the benefits of the scheme remain within the local area.
One contractor, end-to-end delivery
Carbon3 delivered the project from design through to installation and commissioning, providing a single point of responsibility throughout the programme. By keeping delivery in-house, quality, programme management and technical performance were closely controlled from start to finish.
The completed installation now provides the leisure centre with clean, locally generated electricity while delivering lasting environmental, financial, and social benefits for the wider community.
If you need financing for your solar project and want to give back to the community, consider community energy. We have a range of funding partners and can create feasibility studies for free to show you your project’s financial projections. Contact us today to find out more.
