WORK to transform one of Mansfield’s leisure centres to become more energy-efficient have seen significant progress as the ground source heat pump at Rebecca Adlington was officially turned.
The new heat system sends cold water through the pipes under the ground of the leisure centre, it then comes out the other end having been warmed and compressed naturally in the earth. This new energy is then used to heat the building and pool.
The green initiative follows the awarding of the leisure contract by Mansfield District Council to Serco Leisure/More Leisure Community Trust Limited in May 2022. The council contributed £333,000 of funding for carbon reduction and energy-saving measures as part of that contract.
Works at other leisure centres have seen greening works also taking place, with the installation of solar panels at Oak Tree Leisure Centre and new air handling units to improve circulation at Water Meadows Leisure Complex.
It is hoped these measures will save 417,825 kg of carbon dioxide a year and contribute to the council’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint across the district.
The council will also see a significant return on investment from this project with the amount it will save on biomass deliveries to the centre. During winter, a lorry load for the two boilers costs approximately £4,500 per delivery.
The centre needs one of these weekly deliveries to maintain the current heat levels.
It is hoped that the system could be self-sufficient by the summer, dramatically reducing the cost of regular lorry deliveries.