Trimming down for the... winter

• Priority for a Scottish sports club was to upgrade its ageing heating and insulation
• With the budget available, experts advised against low-hanging fruit like new lighting, at this stage 

Inverness Tennis and Squash Club is a hub for the local community providing a range of sports facilities including a gym, fitness studio and sauna.

With a boiler and heating system dating back to the 1960s and large areas to heat, the Club knew that any improvements to its heating, insulation and outdoor lighting would be a major endeavour. It approached Resource Efficient Scotland for advice and support to tackle its huge energy bills and carbon footprint.

The decision to consult the experts was a good one, as the findings went against the more obvious option of replacing the lighting.

Key results

Tennis is played all year on outdoor courts, and the low-hanging fruit for energy-saving would be to install LED flood lighting. But the experts recommended against that due to the long payback period for such an investment. With the limited budget available for the upgrade, they recommended installing a gas-fired central heating, improving the building’s insulation (cavity wall, loft) and installing double-glazing.

These measures, it was estimated, would save the club € 7 768 per year on its energy bills. With an investment of € 33 149 required for the upgrade work, Inverness would see a payback on capital investment in under five years.