Five of Brighton & Hove City Council's leisure centres equipped with rooftop solar panels have generated a total of 1 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of renewable energy – enough to power 370 homes or 500 electric vehicles for a year.

Withdean Leisure Centre led the way, producing over 500,000 kWh, while Moulsecoomb Leisure Centre, Portslade Sports Centre, Prince Regent Sports Complex, and Stanley Deason Leisure Centre contributed the remainder.

The solar installations form part of the council’s largest rollout of solar PV on non-domestic public buildings to date. The electricity generated is helping to reduce both operating costs and emissions, with 503,863 kg of CO2e saved so far. Leisure centres are particularly energy-intensive, making this a significant contribution toward the council’s Net Zero targets.

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Almost all (97%) of the energy generated at Prince Regent Sports Complex is used on-site, cutting CO2 emissions equivalent to planting 1,138 trees every year.

Matt Wickham, Chief Operating Officer at Freedom Leisure, the not-for-profit trust that operates the centres, said: "This is a fantastic milestone for Brighton & Hove’s leisure centres. Generating 1 million kilowatt hours of clean energy shows the power of partnership in tackling climate change. These solar panels are cutting costs, lowering emissions and making our centres more sustainable for the future."

The latest solar panels are the first in the council's portfolio to be fitted with power optimisers, allowing each panel to operate independently. This ensures that a single faulty or shaded panel does not affect the rest of the system. The optimisers also provide detailed performance data and help identify maintenance issues.

Any surplus electricity is exported to the grid, generating income to support operational costs. In total, the council has installed 730 solar panels across non-domestic buildings, including leisure centres, offices, a social care facility and a nursery.