Positively Green

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust has been awarded £1.2million towards energy efficiency projects and renewable energy following a bid put in by the sustainability team.

UHP is one of 78 Trusts that has been awarded Department for Energy Security and Net Zero funding for a solar power project in Plymouth. We’re immensely proud of our bid which resulted in us receiving £549,167! The funding is part of a £100 million Great British Energy package designed to help NHS Trusts  drive down energy bills by installing solar power and battery storage solutions.  

In addition, UHP has been awarded £637K for LED lighting and solar projects from the NHS National Energy Efficiency fund and £24K from the Heat Network Efficiency Scheme- both awards will be crucial in UHP’s Sustainability team’s quest to identify energy opportunities for the long-term decarbonisation of the estate.

Sarah Brampton, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Finance Officer at UHP, said:

“These successful grant applications for green energy will help our ambition as part of our green plan to increase onsite renewable sources, including installing solar and LED lighting across the estate by 2032.”

The £1.2M investment provided will enable the installation of approximately 2,200 LED lights and 1,400 solar panels across the UHP estate. It is estimated these projects will reduce energy consumption by 1.59 MWh annually when complete resulting in energy savings of £428k and reduced carbon emissions of 357 tCO₂e. The electricity consumption reduction is equivalent to the electricity consumed on average by 435 households per year.

Investing in renewable energy, energy efficiency and other carbon reduction measures as per UHP’s Green Plan commitments will save up to approximately £2M per year, allowing costs to be redirected into front line care.