Clean, green solar boost for Marion Leisure and Fitness Centre

YMCA South Australia (the Y), in partnership with the City of Marion, has made a substantial contribution to harnessing cleaner and more sustainable power with the installation of 270 solar panels at Marion Leisure and Fitness Centre.

The 100KW system was installed on the Centre’s roof in December last year, which has a 2.5 year return on investment for the YMCA.

YMCA Marion Area Manager, Haydn Bellamy said that the Y is committed to minimising its environmental footprint by using natural resources more efficiently.

“We are aiming to reduce waste and future-proof our operations,” he said. “We understand our responsibility to operate more sustainably, both ecologically and economically, which includes working with our partners to minimise our reliance on non-renewable energy sources.”

“Although the Centre has energy efficient LED lighting, energy costs for the facility were far too high. The objective of the investment and installation is to further reduce power consumption, operating costs and the facility’s carbon footprint.”

The average generation of electricity will result in approximately $20,000 of savings annually.

While the financial savings are considerable, the improvement of the Centre’s environmental performance is especially noteworthy. The generation of 143,000 kWh of energy each year will lower The Marion Leisure and Fitness Centre’s consumption of carbon fuels and offset over 100 metric tonnes of carbon annually.

“This project marks a significant step toward the Y’s environmental commitments and shared vision for a sustainable future. It also creates value for our partners, our communities, and most importantly, future generations,” added Mr Bellamy.