Energy Efficiency, Commercial, Solar  -  July 11, 2017

Planet Fitness announces 1st solar powered gym

Planet Fitness Inc. announced July 10 its first net-zero energy fitness center at its location in St. Petersburg, Fla.

According to a news release, the 24/7 gym is now 99.5% reliant on electricity generated from solar for all of its operations, The solar-powered Florida gym represents the first of its kind for the company. Planet Fitness's St. Petersburg location partnered with Solar Energy Management for the project.

The announcement follows a complete redesign of the 20,000-square foot facility, including the installation of 179 kW of solar panels into a canopy and solar roof system. The company estimates that more than 5,600 tons of carbon dioxide will be eliminated as a result of the solar project, and the building's monthly energy bill will be reduced by 99%.

"As a member of the St. Petersburg community, I am proud to be able to do our part in improving energy efficiency and contributing to a greener future," Doug Kuiken, Planet Fitness franchisee, said in a statement. "We encourage everyone to check out the club and see exactly how much power is being produced by the solar panels using monitors available in the hallway."

Planet Fitness also upgraded the lighting at the St. Petersburg location to LED fixtures.

The franchise-based fitness center company includes more than 1,300 stores across the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada and the Dominican Republic. The St. Petersburg franchise retrofit was supported by the Chris Rondeau, CEO of Planet Fitness, as the first of its kind within the corporation.

"We are proud to support Doug's work on this important initiative and always work closely with our franchise partners to support their enterprises, encourage innovation and reduce our environmental impact wherever possible," Rondeau said in a statement.