THE University of Bradford’s Unique Fitness is set to become the UK’s first net-zero carbon sports centre after work is completed to install air source heat pumps and solar panels.
Work has now begun on campus to install heat pumps and solar panels to provide energy and power to heat the sports centre, including its pool.
Unique Fitness features a two-floor gym, a swimming pool and indoor courts.
Daniel Fawcett, sports centre manager, said: “Unique Fitness becoming the first zero-net-carbon sports centre in the UK is a fantastic achievement for the University of Bradford; proof once again that the university is a leader of innovation and promotes a sustainable future for the community.
“We can look forward to promoting physical and mental health for years to come, whilst also having a positive impact on the environment.”
The work is being funded by a £3.3m Salix Phase 3 ‘decarbonisation’ grant and is part of a larger campus-wide project that will see numerous energy-saving schemes installed in various buildings.
It follows the university’s successful bid for £3.5m of a Salix Phase 2 funding that was used to pay for cladding and new windows in Richmond and Horton D buildings. Other projects will include things like installing LED lighting, upgrading water heating and ventilation systems and improving building fabrics.
Professor Shirley Congdon, university vice-chancellor, said: “The work being undertaken by the university’s decarbonisation team goes to the very heart of our mission to become a sustainable university.
“These developments are not just warm words and abstract ideas but concrete examples of real measures we are taking to help tackle climate change.”
The university launched its Sustainable Development Programme in November last year. It also sent a delegation of staff and students to COP26, and was granted permanent ‘observer status’ by the UN, meaning it can attend all future conferences.
Mark Wrigley, project manager, said: “This is a big deal for us, because it’s the start of a series of projects that will improve how we use energy across campus.
“It will reduce the electrical demand and we will be generating more of our power.
“If we were paying for this work ourselves, it would take nine years to recoup the money, so this represents a significant saving for the university.”
Susan Clarkson, project co-ordinator, said: “The work that will be done across campus in the coming months represents a fundamental shift in how the university manages its energy usage, with the ultimate aim of vastly reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.”
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