The answer
What should your club check before choosing heating or solar?
Show when training and matches happen, how many people shower at once and when the floodlights are used. Those busy periods matter when choosing heating, hot water, solar or a battery.
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How many showers run after a match?
A changing room may need a lot of hot water in a short time. Count showers and note when they are busiest so the system can refill or reheat fast enough.
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When would your club use solar power?
A daytime gym or office may use solar electricity as it is made. Floodlights used after dark will not. Half-hourly meter readings can show whether a battery would help.
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Who else can use the facilities?
List schools, youth groups, inclusive sessions, public bookings and their costs. CARES needs to understand how the wider community benefits, not just how many members the club has.
How much hot water does your club need after a match?
Count teams, showers and the time between sessions. A modest annual energy bill can hide a sharp hot-water peak after fixtures. Storage and recovery should be modelled against that peak, while hall or clubhouse heating can follow a different schedule.
For funding, describe community access beyond membership labels: youth sessions, shared facilities, public events and the hours available to local groups. Use the same activity schedule to explain why the energy proposal is sized as it is.
What to check next
Your next steps
Where we checked the facts
Check the original information.
These official pages back up the rules and technical details above. They can change, so check them again before spending money or starting work.
Apply this to your own property
Could your community building be suitable?
Tell FLO about your building and the work your group is considering. A free survey checks what may fit; Local Energy Scotland decides CARES eligibility and funding.