IMPROVING COUNCIL SWIMMING FACILITIES WITH VOLTAGE OPTIMISATION AND A FUNDING BOOST FROM GOVERNMENT

Over 800 public leisure centres in England have swimming pools, all playing a vital part in improving public health and wellbeing. Pre-Covid, 72% of all school swimming lessons took place in a public leisure facility, including the statutory learn to swim programme and water safety curriculum for primary schools1. 94% of council leisure centres’ income is generated through customer fees and charges, highlighting the severe impact of Covid closures and reduced usage / capacity post-Covid. When coupled with spiralling energy bills over the last year, resources to help close the funding gap – from local authority increased investment, from DCMS and DLUHC, and from leisure operators’ reserves – are almost exhausted. Unsurprising, then, that the energy crisis has had a profound impact on public swimming facilities.

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85 pools have closed and not been replaced since 2019, and those closing due to financial issues have doubled compared to three years pre-pandemic. Swim England estimate that 350 facilities have faced service reductions, temporary or permanent closure since last October2 UK Active called for the extension of the energy bills discount scheme to include leisure centres as intensive energy users, anticipating that without this extension 31% of council areas in England would risk losing facilities or further reducing services from the beginning of April. New funding support announced in the Spring budget throws a lifeline to these invaluable public resources, with £63 million in a one-year fund to be administered by Sport England. Detailed criteria aren’t available at the time of writing, but there are key points for public leisure facilities looking towards short-term survival and longer-term sustainability: for council-run pools; pools run by private companies for councils, and those run by charities. The fund is to

2 https://www.swimming.org/swimengland/ government-investment-welcomed/ be split into two strands: £23 million in revenue grants to help tackle operational, maintenance, and energy costs, and £40 million for capital investment to improve energy efficiency in the medium- and long-term. Commenting on the new funding, Jane Nickerson, chief executive at Swim England, highlights the twin priorities of immediate support and longer-term strategy,

“The financial support announced will undoubtedly make a difference for a number of vulnerable pools as they battle with increased energy costs.

“We will continue to monitor the situation going forward and seek to work with the Government to put swimming pools on a sustainable long-term footing to support the health and wellbeing of the nation.

“Pool owners and operators are committed to reducing the carbon emissions and there have been many positive examples from across the country.”3

Powerstar work with leisure centres to reduce emissions and cut energy bills, with Voltage Optimisation (VO) as a key solution underpinning some of these positive examples. A transformer-based technology, VO stabilises incoming voltage to a site, and this can lead to valuable cost savings. The National Grid is legally obliged to supply mains voltage at 230V +10% / -6%, which means that while supply is anticipated at 230V, it can actually be anywhere between 216 and 253V. To keep within the allowable range, Grid supply is generally higher than 230V, yet the typical UK equipment rating is 220V. Operating at a higher voltage than the required rating can waste significant electricity, while damaging and reducing equipment’s lifespan. Most organisations can benefit from VO, but the technology is ideally suited to scenarios involving long operating hours and high levels of electricity consumption – such as leisure centres and swimming pools.

One such Powerstar client is Jesmond Pool, a community-managed leisure site operated by Jesmond Community Leisure. The centre includes gyms, massage and therapy facilities, a multipurpose dance and activity room, and a swimming pool with poolside sauna and steam room. Given their extended operating hours and the variety of activities based at the centre, Jesmond Community Leisure was looking to reduce operational costs to free up capital for reinvestment into core business activities, while improving energy efficiency and becoming more sustainable. To 3 https://www.swimming.org/swimengland/ government-investment-welcomed/ achieve these savings, they had already replaced lighting with LEDs, updated the heating system and installed solar PV. Following a full site survey, Powerstar found that incoming voltage was far higher than necessary, with a maximum recorded voltage of 261.8V. Powerstar’s solution has reduced annual energy consumption at Jesmond Pool by over nine percent, equating to a reduction of 27,207kWh annually, and with the associated electricity cost savings.

Stockton Splash is operated by Tees Active Ltd, a charitable trust dedicated to raising the physical and mental wellbeing of communities in Stockton-on-Tees. Since launching their Environmental Plan in 2022, Tees Active have placed a strong emphasis on energy management, including continued investment in more efficient plant and equipment to conserve energy and reduce pollution. Actively looking for ways to reduce energy consumption and costs, they approached Powerstar, who identified Stockton Splash as a potential site where VO would be of benefit based on the centre’s profile: long operating hours; a high volume of visitors, and energy intensive facilities – including a pool, wave machine and two flumes. Site surveys showed that while the incoming voltage was stable, it was higher than necessary and so cost savings and emission reductions would be possible with the appropriate VO solution. Powerstar’s installation of a 250kVA system, with a fixed 20V reduction, has reduced annual electricity consumption by 70,326kWh, which equates to annual savings of more than ten percent. For leisure centre managers, given the reliance on customer usage for income, minimal disruption to service is critical. Reflecting on this installation, Dennis Smith, project manager for Tees Active, commented, “We found working with Powerstar to be very easy as they did everything they could to accommodate our requirements not only in which unit was best suited to deliver the greatest efficiency, but also in ensuring minimum disruption. Work was carried out overnight which meant that there was no disruption to our operational hours and our customers. This is one of the simplest ways to achieve instant cost-effective energy savings and we would highly recommend Powerstar.”

The new funding to help keep swimming pools open to all is crucial for public health and wellbeing, and for community cohesion. While grant support to meet immediate financial needs is vital, the weighting of the fund towards the medium- and longerterm is very welcome. VO technology has a proven track record in emission reduction and energy efficiency for the leisure sector, making it a valuable asset for councils and their delivery partners seeking to gain the greatest benefits from this funding to support community resources and work towards Net Zero.

Find out how much you could save on energy costs with Powerstar’s Energy Saving Calculator tool: https:// powerstar.com/energy-savingcalculator/ or contact Powerstar: www.powerstar.com Email: info@powerstar.com T: 0333 230 1327