RiversMeet Leisure Centre
A case study about RiversMeet Leisure Centre’s optimised solar array
Key stats
- Sector: Leisure
- Installation size: 252 kWp
- Annual generation: 253.3 MWh
- Annual savings: £57,000
- Annual CO2 reduction: 141 tonnes
- Return on investment: < 4 years
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The challenge: A leisure centre wanting greater control over their energy costs
RiversMeet Leisure Centre is a not-for-profit community-owned venue in Gillingham, Dorset. The Leisure Centre offers multiple sport and entertainment facilities for the community including a swimming pool, gym, sports hall, café and soft play.
Having survived through two lockdowns in 2020 and 2021; it was the 2022 energy crisis that threatened the end of the business. The charity’s energy costs had risen from 11p / kWh all the way up to 88p / kWh – an unsustainable fee for the leisure centre with its energy-hungry swimming pool, air conditioning, heat pumps and equipment.
Their first step was to look into where every single unit of energy was going – which helped them to reduce their energy consumption by a huge 50%. The next step was to get a large solar array from Good Energy Solar.
The Solution: An optimised solar array, with payback in under four years
RiversMeet Active’s impressive solar installation comprises 528 solar panels, 264 SolarEdge optimisers, and 2 SolarEdge inverters. As a result, RiversMeet is projected to generate 253,282 KWh of power annually. This not only benefits the environment but translates into significant cost savings of nearly £57,000 a year; helping the leisure centre to stay open and thriving for years to come.
The Leisure Centre’s projected payback period is under four years – showing that commercial solar panels really do make great commercial sense.
“Good Energy have been brilliant. They understood our needs as a business and they didn’t really require my input on anything, which made my life easy.
“Solar panels have made a huge difference to our business here, helping us reduce our running costs. It was one of those where you think: why haven’t we done this sooner?”
Jake Parry, General Manager, RiversMeet Active