Premier League clubs are contributing to the energy transition

In July, Brighton and Hove Albion joined the growing list of Premier League clubs that had signed the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework. On their journey to reaching Net Zero by 2040, one of their initiatives has been to install 400 solar panels at their training grounds.

The Premier League is extremely competitive, and at Wavezero, we saw their south-coast rival, AFC Bournemouth, take it up a level. Also in July, the club announced that they were installing 600 solar panels at their Canford training complex.

“Sustainability has always been a key pillar of the training ground project, so to be delivering it on such a high level is something we’re really proud of.”

Darren Booth, Project Manager at Canford

With the installation, AFC Bournemouth expects to reduce its annual emissions by 30 tonnes and that it would create cost savings of £1.5 million for the club.

AFC Bournemouth sign Utilita Energy

The Cherries also announced that this work is being conducted by the energy supplier Utilita, who will be the club’s energy and sustainability partner for the coming three years.

“It’s really encouraging to see a football club invest in solar, particularly one of AFC Bournemouth’s gravitas.”

Archie Lasseter, Head of Sustainability at Utilita Energy

Beyond installing the solar panels, the club and Utilita Energy plan to collaborate on a 20-week programme to create awareness in Dorset about renewable energy. This will be done with the Community Sports Trust, the club’s charity arm, which focuses on topics such as education, health and inclusion.

At Wavezero, we imagine that people may be more receptive to hearing about topics such as solar power and the energy transition if it is delivered by a club they are attached to.

Through this work, AFC Bournemouth demonstrates how football clubs can reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and leverage their partnerships to create waves of climate action with their community.