William Penn Leisure Centre pool switches to green energy saving lights
Energy-saving lighting has been installed at a swimming pool in Rickmansworth.
Halogen lights above the pool at William Penn Leisure Centre have been replaced with LED lighting by Everyone Active and Three Rivers District Council.
The new lighting makes the pool area brighter and more welcoming for customers and will save 4,835.38kg of carbon dioxide annually, the equivalent of driving 3,000km in a diesel car.
This work follows last summer's £50,000 investment to upgrade the lighting throughout the facility to LED, showcasing a long-term commitment to energy efficiency.
LED lighting uses less than 80 per cent of the energy of traditional incandescent bulbs, with no costly maintenance required. In addition, LEDs have a much longer life expectancy than old light fittings – often more than 20 times longer – meaning they do not need replacing as often.
Rather than ending up in landfill, the old bulbs have been recycled, making the upgrade process environmentally friendly.
Beyond the lighting upgrade, solar panels are in place at both South Oxhey and William Penn Leisure Centres while both sites utilise motion detectors to ensure lights are only on when areas are in use.
John Sewell, Everyone Active’s contract manager, said: “Leisure centres are energy-intensive buildings and it is vital we do our bit to lower carbon output and make our centres more efficient where we can.
“Making these small but effective changes will go a long way to achieving our own carbon reduction targets, while also supporting the council with its own ambitions of achieving net-zero emissions by 2030. It’s important that we take the steps now to ensure that the community has a sustainable leisure facility for many years to come.”
Cllr Chris Lloyd, Three Rivers District Council’s Lead Member for Leisure, said: “Replacing the lighting at the William Penn Leisure Centre with more energy efficient alternatives is an important step towards ensuring this district is more sustainable. As a council we declared our own Climate Emergency in 2019 and we are committed to work with residents and businesses to tackle climate change. I am delighted that this is another step in the right direction. I will have to go for a swim and see the difference it has made.”