LC Swansea Solar PV System Switched On for Freedom Leisure

Freedom Leisure Expands Investment in Solar PV and Battery Storage to Reduce Energy Costs and Support Net Zero Ambitions

Freedom Leisure manage 130 leisure centres across England and Wales and together they clock up more than 23 million visits each year. As rising energy costs continue to challenge the sports and leisure sectors, the organisation has been investing in solar PV and battery storage across multiple sites to improve energy resilience, reduce operational costs and support its long-term Net Zero ambitions.

The latest phase of this strategy has now been completed at LC Swansea, where a new 616-panel commercial solar PV system designed and installed by SolarSense has been commissioned and is now generating renewable electricity on-site.

In an energy-intensive environment where facilities such as heated swimming pools, showers, gyms and studio lighting contribute to significant electricity demand, the new solar PV installation at this single leisure centre is expected to save around £44,500 per year, with projected payback achieved within approximately 3.5 years.

Supporting Decarbonisation Across the Leisure Sector

At LC Swansea, sustainability extends well beyond energy infrastructure. Freedom Leisure has embedded environmental responsibility into wider operational strategy, from carbon literacy training for staff through to customer awareness campaigns promoting greener travel, water conservation and energy efficiency.

According to Angela Brown, who leads sustainability and environmental initiatives across the organisation, solar PV plays an increasingly important role as leisure operators transition towards low-carbon technologies.

“Solar is helping us move forward in so many ways,” says Angela. “As we decarbonise our leisure centres, we also need to mitigate rising operational costs and improve resilience across the business.”

Angela explains that while technologies such as air source heat pumps can significantly reduce carbon emissions, they also increase electricity consumption.

“We know replacing gas boilers with air source heat pumps can reduce carbon emissions by as much as 70 per cent but it also increases electricity demand at the same time. While electricity is cleaner than gas it’s also currently four times the price.”

Rising Energy Costs Driving Investment in Renewable Energy

Like many organisations operating large public facilities, Freedom Leisure experienced major cost increases during the energy crisis and have taken action to reduce costs across their sites.

“With utilities being one of our biggest costs, when there is instability in the market, we feel it. When prices rocketed in the energy crisis of 2022 our annual fuel costs across the group and all its centres went from £8m to £22m for the year. Having solar produce energy annually will help mitigate this and increase our energy security and our resilience. Here at LC Swansea, we are looking at a saving of around £44,500 each year and so will see a return on our investment within 3.5 years.”

SolarSense Selected for Multi-Site Solar PV and Battery Storage Project Delivery

SolarSense has supported Freedom Leisure with solar PV and battery storage installations across multiple leisure centres in England and Wales and was selected to design and install the Swansea system based on its experience delivering commercial solar PV projects across complex operational environments.

“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.” says Angela.

“SolarSense not only have the expertise in solar PV but an ability to work collaboratively with our technical teams and other contractors, and with the councils who own our buildings. They also completely understood that we have to be sensitive to customers’ needs to ensure no interruptions to the service they enjoy.”

Supporting Leisure Centres with Commercial Solar PV and Battery Storage

As a multi award-winning Certified B Corp, with more than 15,500 renewable energy installations nationwide, SolarSense has delivered solar energy projects for a wide range of sports and leisure facilities, including high-profile venues such as London Stadium and The Wave in Bristol.

Earlier this year, SolarSense also expanded its presence in Wales with the opening of a new regional office to support the growing demand for renewable energy infrastructure projects across the nation. This includes recent renewable energy developments in Swansea, where SolarSense has supported both the new solar PV installation at LC Swansea and the landmark Swansea Arena project located adjacent to the site on Swansea’s waterfront.

“These are highly energy-intensive environments operating across long opening hours and serving thousands of visitors each week,” says SolarSense Managing Director Russell Mees.

“Leisure operators are increasingly looking for sustainable ways to manage rising electricity costs without impacting customer experience. Solar PV is becoming an increasingly important part of that strategy.”

“Freedom Leisure is a strong example of how organisations can integrate renewable energy into wider operational and sustainability initiatives while also improving long-term energy resilience.”

Creating Wider Community Impact Through Sustainability

Freedom Leisure says the impact of the project extends beyond financial savings and carbon reduction alone.

“We want staff to understand what we do and why, and so they can see the impact their centre is having. That builds confidence and motivation,” adds Angela. “Now we’re on this road it is inspiring other changes, too, with a focus on continuous improvement in energy housekeeping so they can reduce their emissions per customer visit year on year.”

The organisation is also using its sustainability initiatives to engage visitors and encourage wider behavioural change across local communities.

“We want visitors to know the solar panels are up there producing energy for us, and to take this – and other green practises they learn about when they’re here – outside the leisure centre so it benefits the wider community. That work can be via daily messaging about switching off the lights or reducing time in the showers, or around bigger campaigns linked with initiatives like World Water Day. We ran a promotion for children coming into the centres, encouraging them to be positive water worriers and the response was amazing.”

LC Swansea Solar PV System

SolarSense designed and installed a 283.36kWp commercial rooftop solar PV system at LC Swansea, comprising 616 high-efficiency TCL Solar modules and SolarEdge technology to maximise system performance and visibility. Designed to generate 274,835kWh of renewable electricity annually, the optimised PV system was engineered to support the operational demands of a large, energy-intensive leisure environment while maximising on-site renewable electricity generation. For more information, including full system specifications, please see the LC Swansea solar PV case study.