Community solar project powers Barnet leisure centre

Green Energy at Burnt Oak Leisure Centre

The Better Burnt Oak Leisure Centre is 'going green' thanks to 220 rooftop solar panels which will save £36,000 in energy costs and reduce carbon emissions by 241 tonnes.

The project has been delivered through a partnership between Community Energy Barnet, Barnet Council, GLL, Repowering London, and Carbon3.

More than 70 per cent of the solar power generated is expected to be used by the leisure centre, with the remainder exported to the grid.

Jeremy Gould, national sustainability manager at charitable social enterprise GLL - which operates the centre in partnership with Barnet Council says: "Leisure centres are energy-intensive buildings, so finding practical ways to reduce carbon emissions and energy costs is a real priority for us.

Burnt Oak shows what can be achieved when councils, leisure operators, and community energy organisations work together – generating clean electricity while creating wider benefits for the community."

Funding for the installation came from multiple sources, including a £15,000 grant from Barnet Council’s Community Energy Fund, £24,500 from the Greater London Authority’s London Community Energy Fund, and £5,000 from the Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme.

Barnet's is just the latest in a series of green investments at GLL leisure facilities and libraries - which are aiming to be carbon neutral by 2050. Sustainability | GLL