New solar panels have been installed at Hinckley and Bosworth Community Hospital, thanks to a £117,000 grant from Great British Energy.
The roof mounted photovoltaic panels will generate power throughout the year, helping reduce our carbon footprint.
The project will save Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) around £17,000 a year, which will be reinvested in patient care.
Richard Brown, LPT’s associate director for estates and facilities, said: “This is a welcome investment, and supports the Trust’s approach to sustainability.
“Renewable sources are part of an NHS goal to achieve net zero emissions.”
The hospital has two inpatient wards, which means it needs electricity seven days a week. It is also the base for community nursing teams and several therapy services. The solar panels are likely to generate around 10 per cent of the site’s annual electricity needs.
The panels and associated engineering equipment were installed by Leicester-based Fusion Electrics at the end of July.
The Hinckley scheme was one of a number in schools and hospitals that have been announced by the government.
Chris Gormley, chief sustainability officer at NHS England, said: “Thanks to this new funding, we are set to expand solar generation by more than 300% across the NHS – slashing millions of pounds from energy bills, which can then be redirected into patient care.
“These new solar panels are expected to save the NHS £8.6 million every year once all the projects are completed, adding up to £260 million over their lifetime.
“That’s a massive leap towards a more sustainable, cost-efficient NHS – building on the great work already undertaken in the five years since we became the first healthcare system in the world to commit to reaching net zero.”
Energy secretary Ed Miliband said: “Great British Energy is helping your local school or hospital save money on its bills, to be reinvested into the frontline, from textbooks to teachers to medical equipment.
“Across the country, solar panels are going up on rooftops or carpark canopies, to power classrooms and operating theatres with clean, homegrown power.
“This is our clean energy superpower mission in action, protecting our public services with lower bills and energy security.”
In February LPT switched on another government-funded solar array at Loughborough Hospital. We also have older solar panels at the Beacon Unit for young people, and Watermead ward at the Bradgate Mental Health Unit (both in Leicester) and at Mill Lodge (Narborough).