Healthy Living Centre set to benefit from energy efficiency boost

After successfully securing £275,000 in external grant funding via the SPSF, Chesterfield Borough Council will be installing a new combined heat and power (CHP) unit which will allow the centre to operate more efficiently.

The new CHP will help to improve environmental performance at the Healthy Living Centre whilst also saving around 20 per cent in energy costs. Its highly effective process of generating electricity also helps to reduce carbon emissions by up to 30 per cent.

The heat generated using a CHP unit is supplied to an appropriately matched heat demand that would otherwise be met by a conventional boiler. CHP systems are highly efficient, making use of the heat which would otherwise be wasted when generating electrical or mechanical power.

The installation of the new combined heat pump is just one of a number of measures that is being taken to help improve energy efficiency at the council’s leisure centres and marks another milestone in the council’s plan to becoming a carbon neutral organisation by 2030 and a carbon neutral borough by 2050.

Councillor Martin Stone, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for climate change, planning and the environment, said: “Climate change continues to be one of the biggest threats to our future, and the action we take today will make a difference for Chesterfield’s tomorrow.

“We know we can’t tackle everything at once, but energy use in buildings is one of the biggest challenges we face, so measures such as the installation of the new combined heat and power unit will make a great contribution towards this.”

Councillor Jonathan Davies, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for health and wellbeing, added: “Installing this new heat and power unit supports our climate change ambitions while improving services we provide for residents.

“Leisure and fitness facilities like the Healthy Living Centre are vital to our communities and people’s health and wellbeing. It is important we make the most of emerging external funding opportunities, like SPFS, to ensure we continue to deliver essential services effectively and in a cost-efficient way, while also reducing the council’s environmental footprint.”