AFC Bournemouth agrees three-year sustainability deal with Utilita

AFC Bournemouth is planning to become “one of the greenest sporting outfits”, thanks to a deal with Utilita.

Utilita is now the club’s official energy and sustainability partner, and will install over 600 solar panels at the Canford training complex.

The array will spread across the main roof and pitch maintenance building and is expected to deliver a cost saving of £1.5m.

Darren Booth, Project Manager at Canford, said:

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.

Archie Lasseter, Head of Sustainability at Utilita, said:

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

Thanks to the array, the club will become a leading force in the drive for sustainability across football, producing 280,000 kWp annually and significantly slashing carbon emissions.

Utilita will also be collaborating with AFC Bournemouth across several campaigns to promote sustainability, including a 20-week initiative with the Community Sports Trust to create awareness locally around green energy and solar power.

Others include the Utilita Energy Savings Champion, whereby fans can nominate someone in the community who has made a conscious effort to help the environment, with the winner receiving an exclusive VIP prize.

Bill Bullen, CEO and Co-founder at Utilita, commented:

We are delighted to be partnering with such a high-profile club. It’s a wonderful opportunity to bring our campaigns to a wider audience and bolster our reputation as the go-to business to deliver large-scale solar projects of this nature.

I also look forward to watching our joint initiatives grow and blossom over the next three years, because giving back to the communities we serve will always be a top priority of ours.