LED Lighting Case Study
The Stour Centre
Swimming Pool
Ashford, Kent
%
Annual savings
67,630 kWh
23.8 Tonnes CO2
3.6 years payback
Solas was appointed to deliver a complete LED lighting upgrade for The Stour Centre, a major leisure facility operated by Freedom Leisure in Ashford, Kent. The project aimed to improve lighting quality, enhance the customer experience, and significantly reduce energy consumption across both the competition and leisure pools.
The Client & Challenge
The Stour Centre is a large, multi-use leisure complex featuring a competition pool, leisure pool, learner pool, flume, and spa. Freedom Leisure wanted to upgrade the centre’s outdated lighting to improve reliability, reduce running costs, and align with its environmental and operational goals.
The existing 250W metal halide luminaires had deteriorated over time, leaving light levels inconsistent and maintenance costs high. The challenge was to design and deliver a solution that would restore light quality, reduce energy use, and take advantage of the natural daylight within the space.
Energy efficiency is one of the first things we address when taking on a new facility. It is in everyone’s best interest to cut costs and reduce environmental impact.
– Jeremy Rowe, Regional Operations Director, Freedom Leisure
The Solas Solution
Lighting Design
The team replaced 58 high-intensity discharge luminaires with 36 high-performance 5K high bay LED floodlights, optimising coverage and uniformity across both pool areas.
Control System
A scene control system was introduced, allowing the client to choose between four pre-set lighting scenes depending on activity type. The system also incorporates daylight harvesting to automatically adjust light levels based on natural ambient light.
System Benefits
Project Delivery
The installation was managed carefully to minimise disruption to centre operations. Work was carried out efficiently and to a high standard, with close coordination between the Solas team and the client.
The project was delivered smoothly, with all systems commissioned and tested before handover to ensure optimum performance.
Results & Impact
67% reduction
in annual lighting energy use
67,630 kWh
saved each year
23.8 tonnes of CO2
reduced each year
3.6 years
payback
Ensuring Lasting Performance
Following completion, Solas provided full system commissioning and training to ensure Freedom Leisure’s team could manage and optimise the lighting and control system independently.
The upgrade has provided The Stour Centre with a more efficient, adaptable, and sustainable lighting solution, helping Freedom Leisure deliver a better experience for its members while achieving measurable energy savings.
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