SolarSense & Freedom Leisure named as Finalists for edie Energy Award

SolarSense and Freedom Leisure Shortlisted for Renewable Energy Project of the Year at the edie Energy & Tech Awards 2026

SolarSense and Freedom Leisure have been shortlisted for Renewable Energy Project of the Year at the edie Energy & Tech Awards 2026, recognising a landmark renewable energy programme that is helping one of the UK’s largest charitable leisure trusts strengthen operational resilience, reduce energy costs and accelerate progress towards Net Zero. The winners of the edie Energy & Tech Awards 2026 will be announced at the awards ceremony in London on 16 October 2026.

The shortlist celebrates the latest phase of Freedom Leisure’s wider decarbonisation programme, which has seen solar PV and battery storage installed across ten leisure centres in England and Wales. Delivered in partnership with SolarSense between early 2025 and May 2026, the clean energy scheme is projected to generate more than 1.51GWh of renewable electricity annually, reduce carbon emissions by 327 tonnes each year and deliver more than £12.76 million in energy cost savings over the next 25 years.

Welcoming more than 23 million visits every year, Freedom Leisure has embedded sustainability at the heart of its long-term strategy. Recognising that leisure centres are among the UK’s most energy-intensive public buildings, the organisation has adopted an estate-wide approach to decarbonisation, identifying where renewable energy technologies can deliver the greatest environmental, operational and financial benefits.

Angela Brown, Head of Sustainability and Environmental at Freedom Leisure, said:

“With utilities being one of our biggest costs, changes in market prices can have a significant impact on our operating costs. As a not-for-profit organisation, ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of our leisure centres means doing everything we can to build resilience and respond quickly to market volatility through best practice and smart energy management. Having solar also helps reduce our reliance on the national grid, giving us greater protection from pricing fluctuations while improving our energy security and resilience.”

With Angela driving the organisation’s sustainability strategy, Freedom Leisure developed a group-wide renewable energy programme, identifying the leisure centres where solar PV would deliver the greatest impact. By securing funding in collaboration with local authority partners, the organisation has accelerated the deployment of renewable energy across its estate, with ten installations delivered in partnership with SolarSense.

Across the programme, SolarSense has installed 1.56MWp of solar PV, comprising 3,451 solar panels, alongside 156kWh of battery storage, advanced monitoring technology and industry-leading safety systems. The systems are expected to generate 1,512,175kWh of renewable electricity each year, deliver first-year energy cost savings of £340,789 and achieve an average payback period of just 3.5 years.

Rather than treating each installation as an individual project, Freedom Leisure has adopted a strategic, estate-wide approach to decarbonisation, tailoring every system to the operational requirements, energy profile and available funding opportunities of each leisure centre. The programme demonstrates how leisure operators, local authorities, funding bodies and renewable energy specialists can work together to deliver meaningful carbon reductions while improving the long-term resilience of vital community assets.

Technology selection was driven by the operational requirements of each leisure facility rather than a standardised specification. SolarSense selected the most appropriate technologies for each site, ensuring every system was optimised for roof layout, energy demand, operational requirements and long-term performance.

For example, at LC Swansea, premium TCL SunPower 460W solar PV modules were combined with SolarEdge inverter and optimiser technology to maximise energy generation from the available roof space while providing enhanced visibility of system performance. Similar design principles were applied across the wider portfolio, with technologies tailored to the specific characteristics and energy profile of each leisure centre.

Commenting on the partnership, Angela added:

“We needed a partner who could manage multiple installations while still delivering the quality and care we wanted – a bespoke system for each leisure centre. Looking at the proposals, the designs, the teams, the company’s geographic footprint and hearing recommendations from other leisure operators, SolarSense proved the right fit. SolarSense not only have the expertise in solar PV but an ability to work collaboratively with our technical teams, other contractors and the councils who own our buildings. They also completely understood that we must be sensitive to customers’ needs to ensure no interruptions to the service they enjoy.”

Russell Mees, Managing Director of SolarSense, said:

“We’re delighted to see Freedom Leisure’s outstanding clean energy programme recognised by the edie Energy & Tech Awards. This shortlist is a testament to the organisation’s long-term commitment to sustainability and the collaborative approach taken by Freedom Leisure, its local authority partners and public-sector funding bodies. By combining tailored engineering, high-performance technologies and careful project delivery, this programme demonstrates how organisations can decarbonise complex estates, strengthen operational resilience and deliver lasting financial and environmental benefits. We’re incredibly proud to have supported Freedom Leisure on this important journey.”