A collaboration between Dartford Borough Council, Places Leisure, Ferguson Brown Engineering, TSG Building Services and LG Electronics has successfully delivered a comprehensive renewables project at Fairfield Leisure Centre.
This initiative, funded through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, underscores the council’s commitment in reaching its goal of net-zero carbon emissions in its commercial buildings. The scheme is run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and delivered by Salix.
The project required careful management as the leisure centre remained open throughout the works. To minimise disruption to the community, most of the installation was carried out overnight, ensuring the comfort and safety of both users and staff remained a top priority.
Dartford Borough Council Leader, Jeremy Kite said, “This initiative exemplifies the potential of public and private sector collaboration to drive sustainability. Fairfield will be generating enough renewable energy to be self-sufficient – keeping the lights on, and the pools warm. Any additional energy is fed back into the National Grid, to ensure that nothing is wasted, and Dartford can move toward a greener future”.
Steve Parker, Head of Technical and Environmental at Places Leisure said, “We are delighted to see the completion of this renewables project at Fairfield Leisure Centre which will allow the building to become carbon neutral. Places Leisure is committed to supporting and collaborating with our partners to help achieve net zero at the centres we manage, Fairfield Leisure Centre is a great example of this.”
Director of Public Sector Decarbonisation at Salix Ian Rodger said: “It’s inspiring to see how Dartford Borough Council is navigating its net zero journey and at Salix we are pleased to support that journey.
Fairfield Leisure Centre is a popular community building which will now be better placed for a more sustainable future as well as offering a more comfortable environment for those who work there and use it.”
The project’s comprehensive scope included the design, installation, testing, and commissioning of the following decarbonisation measures:
- 600kW Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) & Heat Recovery System: Installed on the roof, providing renewable heat for the building and pools.
- 50kW ASHP System: Dedicated to heating two new 2,500L hot water storage vessels during off-peak hours.
- 65kW Solar Thermal System: Comprising 39 roof-mounted solar collectors, delivering heat to the pools during daylight hours with ASHP backup for low-light conditions.
- Solar Photovoltaic (PV) System: Featuring 678 panels on the roof (288.15kWp) and 156 panels on a carport in the main car park (64.74kWp), producing a combined 352.89kWp.
- Low-Energy LED Lighting: Installed with occupancy sensors throughout the centre.