A new solar array is now generating clean energy on the roof of High Town Community Centre. The 118 panels went live in February and will deliver approximately £11,000 in savings on the centre’s energy bills in the years to come. It will also reduce the carbon footprint of the building by around 10 tonnes a year.
It’s the latest in a series of green initiatives from community wellbeing trust Active Luton, which operates sports facilities across the town, including swimming pools, gyms, and the athletic centre and golf club at Stockwood Park. Active Luton also manages the town’s libraries.
Among the trust’s projects are a switch to electric vehicles. The two maintenance vans that serve the various sites have been switched to EVs, with charging points installed to keep them topped up.
Tapping into government funding from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, the trust has also invested in combined heat and power systems at two of their sites, with others moving from gas to heat pumps.
Swimming pools are particularly energy intensive facilities, with the Inspire Sports Village in Stopsley presenting the biggest challenge. Like all Active Luton sites, there is a decarbonisation plan for Inspire. It includes small changes such as low-flow showerheads, through to bigger projects like the plan for solar panels on the roof. The centre has already been connected to a energy monitoring system, providing data on energy use to inform future efficiency measures.
Behind the scenes, a green champions group meets regularly to share progress across the sites and set priorities. Sustainability is a priority for the trust, as it joins the rest of Luton in the goal to be net zero by 2040.
Zero Carbon Luton 