K2 Crawley solar carport cuts carbon and costs in first year
Crawley Borough Council has announced the successful first-year results of the innovative solar carport installation at K2 Crawley Leisure Centre, demonstrating significant reductions in carbon emissions, lower energy costs and a decreased reliance on the national grid.
K2 Crawley Leisure Centre is one of the borough’s highest energy-consuming facilities, welcoming more than 1.5 million visitors annually. The centre includes an Olympic-sized swimming pool, learner and leisure pools, a 150 plus station gym, sports halls, squash courts, football pitches and accessible changing facilities.
As the leisure facility is one of the highest consumers of energy within the borough, the council was keen to reduce reliance on the grid, lower its carbon emissions and save money. The project was made possible through the allocation of £707,000 from a Sport England’s Swimming Pool Support Fund grant, supplemented by £250,000 of investment from Crawley Borough Council.
The project was delivered in partnership with facility operator Everyone Active, principal contractor Leisure Energy, and solar installer RenEnergy. It has transformed the leisure centre’s car park into one of the UK’s largest solar-powered leisure facility installations. The development features 1,002 photovoltaic solar panels installed across six purpose-built carport canopies covering 162 parking spaces.
Since becoming operational, the system has generated 421,151 kWh of renewable electricity during its first full year of operation (June 2025 to May 2026). The scheme has demonstrated outstanding results including:
- reduced carbon emissions by 72 tonnes of CO₂
- delivered an estimated £82,717 in electricity cost savings
- helped reduce grid electricity consumption by approximately 32.5 per cent
The first year’s performance demonstrates how renewable energy technologies can significantly improve the sustainability of large leisure facilities while delivering measurable financial benefits for local authorities and leisure operators.
The project has also received industry recognition, being Highly Commended at the 2025 Energy Management Awards, highlighting its innovative approach to reducing emissions and improving energy resilience within the public sector.
Councillor Nick Hilton, Cabinet member for Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change at Crawley Borough Council, said: “The first-year results from the K2 Crawley solar carport project are extremely encouraging and demonstrate how investment in renewable energy can deliver real benefits for our residents, our facilities and the environment. This project is a great example of how we are taking practical action to help achieve our net zero goals.”
Peggy Lee, Group Sustainability Manager for Everyone Active, said: “At Everyone Active, we’re committed to reducing the environmental impact of our leisure centres while continuing to provide outstanding facilities for our communities.
“The success of the K2 Crawley solar carport project demonstrates what can be achieved through strong partnerships to support our local authority partners to accelerate implementation of green and innovative technologies. We’re proud to work with Crawley Borough Council on initiatives like this, which are helping to reduce carbon emissions and create more sustainable leisure facilities for the future.”
Mike Worsnop, Acting Managing Director for Leisure Energy said: “The results from the first year of operation of the solar carports at K2 Crawley demonstrate that this type of well-designed renewable infrastructure can deliver excellent financial savings to a leisure facility, exceeding expectation in its first year. We’re proud to have partnered with Crawley Borough Council and Everyone Active on a project that is delivering measurable environmental and financial benefits.”
Project Highlights
- 1,002 photovoltaic solar panels installed
- 421,151 kWh renewable electricity generated in the first year
- 72 tonnes reduction in CO₂ emissions
- £82,717 estimated electricity cost savings
- 32.5% reduction in grid electricity consumption
- 162 parking spaces covered by solar canopies
