Last March we secured £6million in government funding to install solar panels and energy storage systems across our hospitals, in a bid to reduce our carbon emissions and energy costs as part of a £100million initiative by Great British Energy (GBE) to expand renewable power across the NHS. 

After a robust tender process, we appointed Vital Energi in September, on the proviso that the installation started at Wexham Park, Heatherwood and our Greenwood offices earlier this month (February). 

Once complete, we will have installed over 3,000 photovoltaic (PV) solar panels across roofs and the maternity car park at Wexham Park. This is expected to generate around 1,400,000 kWh of renewable energy - enough energy to power around 518 homes a year. At Heatherwood Hospital & Greenwood offices 670 PV solar panels will be installed, creating around 260,000 kWh of energy – enough to power 96 homes for a year. Any excess energy generated from the panels will be stored for later use.

James Clarke, Chief Strategy Officer says; “This large-scale initiative will support the trust’s commitment to reducing our carbon emissions, while ensuring we’re on track to meet our 50% reduction target in the next five years. This is a huge step in moving towards providing our own renewable energy, whilst reducing our energy costs and providing a better environment for patients.

"Aligning with the NHS’s goal to reach net-zero emissions by 2040, we are committed to investing in, and supporting a wide range of projects through our sustainability programme, as outlined in our refreshed Green Plan. We have already replaced approximately 9,000 light bulbs with energy-efficient LED alternatives at each of our hospital sites to help.”  The NHS is one of the UK’s largest carbon emitters, so reducing our environmental impact significantly benefits the nation as a whole.