WHILE thousands of people have used IW Council leisure centres to get healthy, the buildings themselves have also been shedding tonnes off their carbon footprints.
After a year operating under a new environmentally-friendly regime, The Heights at Sandown has reduced its CO2 emission by a staggering 60 tonnes and its electrical energy consumption by 13 percent.
That work-out has also lead to an £11,000 reduction in fuel bills.
A number of measures have brought about this welcome addition to the IW Council’s Eco Island vision to make the county energy self-sufficient and carbon neutral.
These included installing high efficiency electric motors and improving heating and ventilation systems. New electric control panels and timing clocks have also been introduced.
The cost of installing this new technology has already been offset by the reduction of energy bills in the first year. This is all the more impressive given the recent rises in fuel bills.
Meanwhile a new combined heat and power unit at Medina Leisure Centre, Newport, saved 51 tonnes of CO2 in 2007, the equivalent to a forest of 7912 mature trees.
David Pugh IW Council leader and cabinet member for leisure, said: “This is a fantastic example of what Eco-Island is all about. Not only are these public facilities encouraging healthy living, they are also setting the standards in terms of a building acting to reduce its carbon footprint.
“It shows how relatively simple and low cost-energy efficiency measures can have a great impact. The leisure centre management teams and the council’s property services department deserve great credit for these achievements.”
