Energy Statements and Part L Modelling for Padel Clubs

Last updated October 2026

If your council has asked for an energy statement on a padel scheme, the job is to model the clubhouse properly and keep the open court halls out of it. SustainPlan, the sustainability consultancy in our team, writes the energy statement and runs the Part L 2021 SBEM model with its BRUKL output, for London and every other UK council. On Old Blues RFC in Merton the final design came out 72.9% below the Part L 2021 target. We quote each scheme from its drawings.

What a padel energy statement contains, and where each part comes from

Part	What it shows	Tool or source
Baseline	The clubhouse built to Part L 2021 minimum	SBEM model, BRUKL output
Be Lean	Fabric, glazing and ventilation improvements	SBEM model
Be Clean	Heat networks or other clean supply, where available	Site review
Be Green	Heat pumps and solar PV	SBEM model and PV yield
Be Seen	How energy use will be reported after handover	London schemes that need it
Policy check	How the scheme meets the local plan’s energy policies	Local plan

When does a padel scheme need an energy statement?

When the clubhouse, or a fully enclosed padel hall, is a new building or a major extension, and the council’s local plan asks for energy evidence at planning. In London, the London Plan energy hierarchy applies: Policy SI 2 asks major developments for an on-site carbon cut of at least 35% beyond Building Regulations, with non-residential schemes expected to find 15% of that through energy efficiency, and any shortfall against net zero paid into the borough’s carbon offset fund. Outside London, each local plan sets its own targets for carbon, renewables or both.

You will also need a Part L calculation for Building Regulations whatever planning asks for, so the model built for the energy statement does double duty.

What does the council want to see?

A clubhouse that beats Part L by a clear margin, with the savings explained step by step. Officers look for three things in a padel energy statement:

1. A model that matches the latest drawings, area for area.
2. A logical route through fabric first, then clean supply, then renewables.
3. Figures that agree with the overheating, carbon and air quality reports in the same application.

The third point is where padel schemes come unstuck. The padel planning problems we solve page explains why.

Do the covered courts count as heated floor area?

Usually not. Open-sided, unheated court halls are normally kept outside the Part L model, and only the conditioned clubhouse is modelled. What matters is that the areas are stated clearly and used consistently: the court area still appears in the whole life carbon assessment and on the drawings, so the energy statement has to say plainly what it covers and why.

A fully enclosed and heated padel hall is different and is modelled as part of the building. We confirm which case you are in from the drawings before any modelling starts.

How do you get a padel clubhouse well below Part L?

Go all-electric and use the roof. A padel scheme has a lot of roof over the courts, which makes it unusually good for solar PV, and air-source heat pumps give low-carbon heating and hot water for the changing rooms. Fabric and ventilation come first, so the heat pump and panels are not making up for a leaky building.

At Old Blues the final Be Green design used air-source heat pumps and roof-mounted solar PV. The BRUKL shows a building emission rate of 4.99 against a target of 18.40 kgCO2/m² a year, and primary energy of 47.45 against 198.49 kWh/m² a year.

How much energy can solar PV supply?

On Old Blues, about 15,253 kWh a year from roof-mounted panels, against a regulated energy use of 22,043 kWh a year for the 217 m² clubhouse. That is around 69% (our calculation from the energy statement figures). Your yield depends on roof area, orientation and shading, which the model works out for your site.

What happens if the council’s reviewer asks questions?

We revise and re-issue. Reviewers on padel schemes commonly ask about floor areas, operational energy and consistency between documents. On Old Blues the energy statement was re-issued as Rev 02 with a final BRUKL matched to the latest clubhouse plan, and the whole life carbon assessment was brought onto the same areas.

What do you need from me?

• Architectural drawings: plans, sections and elevations of the clubhouse, plus the court layout
• The intended heating, hot water and ventilation approach, if one has been chosen
• The council’s validation letter, pre-app response or planning condition, if you have one
• Any roof area set aside for solar

What’s included

• SBEM model of the clubhouse to Part L 2021, with BRUKL outputs for each stage of the hierarchy
• Energy statement written to the London Plan hierarchy or your local plan’s policies
• Advice on heat pumps, solar PV, fabric and ventilation to hit the target
• Energy data for the air quality consultant where an Air Quality Neutral assessment is needed
• Revisions in response to the council’s review

What’s not included

• Mechanical and electrical design drawings
• The GLA carbon reporting spreadsheet where one is required, unless it is priced in your quote
• Air tightness testing on completion, quoted separately

Worked example: Old Blues RFC, Merton

A 217 m² conditioned clubhouse beside six open-sided, unheated covered courts. The energy statement followed the London Plan energy hierarchy and the climate policies of the Merton Local Plan (adopted November 2024, policies CC2.1 to CC2.6). The final Be Green design, with air-source heat pumps and roof-mounted PV, came out 72.9% below the Part L 2021 target. The Old Blues RFC padel case study has the full results.

Who does the work

Padel Court Build is a SustainPlan Ltd service. SustainPlan’s energy assessors build the model and write the statement, working from the drawings the architects in our team produce and the programme our planning consultants run.

Often needed alongside

• Padel clubhouse overheating: comfort without air conditioning
• Padel whole life carbon: embodied carbon for London referable schemes
• Padel court planning permission: the consent the reports support

FAQs

Is an energy statement the same as an SBEM calculation?

No. The SBEM calculation produces the Part L figures (the BRUKL). The energy statement explains them against planning policy.

Do I need one for a small outdoor court with no clubhouse?

Usually not, because there is no heated building to model. Your planning consultant confirms what the council expects.

Can you work from my architect’s drawings?

Yes. We need plans, sections and elevations at the latest revision.

Sources

• SustainPlan, Energy Statement Rev 02 for Old Blues RFC; Be Green BRUKL, 9 September 2026
• London Plan 2021, Policy SI 2 Minimising greenhouse gas emissions (energy hierarchy; at least 35% on-site beyond Building Regulations for major development; 15% from energy efficiency for non-residential; carbon offset fund), text checked 17 Oct 2026 via https://kirby.wa-insight.com/planning-policy-map/the-london-plan-si-2-minimising-greenhouse-gas-emissions
• Merton Local Plan, adopted November 2024, policies CC2.1 to CC2.6