energy awareness: protecting the future today

Coral Leisure 
Environmental Press Release 2021 

LEADING OUR SECTOR IN ENERGY AWARENESS STRATEGIES 
 
Environmental consciousness is the future for most businesses, as they can see the multitude of benefits that are associated with a greener view.
 
In 2020 Coral Leisure continued to lead the way in the leisure industry, we are the only company in our sector to have a dedicated Energy Champion in each of our 9 National Quality Standards Award-winning sites, all headed by our Coral Group Energy Consultant. 
 
In order to ensure we are maintaining the highest possible standards; we are also the only leisure industry group registered with the environmental certification and support company; EcoMerit. EcoMerit is about empowering businesses to become more sustainable. They do this by identifying cost-effective savings and improvement opportunities. They give businesses simple tools to help go on improving and saving, year-on-year.
 
‘Coral Leisure has demonstrated that effective climate action goes hand in hand with good business practice.  They have shown that we can all take practical simple steps right now to reduce energy and water use and the production of waste, whilst cutting costs, increasing marketing appeal and engaging staff in a positive way.  Over time all these actions mount up and help us build a more sustainable world fit for our children. EcoMerit is delighted that its programme of certification and support has helped Coral demonstrate real leadership in this area and we congratulate them on their great achievements.’ 
- Bobby Lambert: EcoMerit’s Business Development Director
 
Coral Leisure’s main goal is to create a network to allow each Energy Champion to take full advantage of each other’s experience, resources, and ideas. We have a great pool of talent across the group and it is a huge benefit to be able to tap into this and help each other. Energy is the biggest cost to a Leisure Centre after wages, the 4 biggest users of energy are the air circulating fans, the pool circulating water pumps, the sauna/steam room and the lights. 
 
Over the last 5 years Coral Leisure as a whole have managed to:

• reduce our Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 3,000 Tonnes.
• reduce our Energy Usage by 3,750,000 KWh.
• save €750,000.
 
To put some of this into context: 3,750,000 KWh is the equivalent of flying a full Jumbo Jet with 425 people from Dublin to New York 4 and a half times!
 
BUILDING THE FUTURE
 
Multiple education institutes have also recognised Coral Leisure for its work in the field of energy awareness, we co-operated with SEAM research Centre in Waterford Institute of Technology, to use one of our Centres as a case model in its research for Poolhall CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) Airflow Modelling. The results of which could have a huge impact on the future of swimming pool architecture and design. We intend to carry out the same modelling in all of our sites to make sure that we use our fans and heaters as efficiently as possible. 
 
In addition, our group Energy Consultant Camillus Muldowney and Area Manager Ciarán Murtagh, were approached by TU College Dublin to present a lecture to their Sports and Leisure students about the importance of energy awareness and management.
 
‘Ciaran Murtagh, Area Manager and Camillus Muldowney, Energy Engineering Consultant, both of Coral Leisure provided the students of the B.Sc. in Sport and Leisure Management, TU Dublin with excellent insight into their journey towards sustainability. Considerable inroads have been made over the last five years at their sites in reducing the energy consumption of their leisure centres throughout Ireland, and consequent reduction in CO2 emissions. Given the urgency to address climate change, it is very heartening to see Coral Leisure lead the way in sustainable sport and leisure facilities management. The presentation, which will form part of an assessment, provided the students with an overview of the steps taken, including benchmarking with best practice, and highlighted the importance of setting goals, education, and awareness.’   
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- Dr Catherine Gorman: Lecturer in Sustainable Sport and Facilities Management, TU Dublin 
With so much done but dedicated to doing so much more, Coral Leisure pledges to lead the way into a sustainable tomorrow.