Great British Energy has backed the NHS Humber Health Partnership with £8.5 million to install new solar panels.
Hospitals in the regions are set to benefit from £8.5 million in Great British Energy and government funding to install solar panels, allowing their energy bills to be dramatically reduced.
The Government’s Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband, today visited a solar farm in Hull that powers the nearby Castle Hill Hospital. Castle Hill is one of just a handful of hospitals in the country that have its own solar farm that powers much of the hospital’s operations.
Mr Miliband praised Castle Hill Hospital and emphasised how other NHS trusts can use the solar farm as an example. He told Hull Live: “I think this is an incredibly important innovation and I think the hospital deserves massive congratulations for what they’ve done, saving £200,000 a month of their energy bills.”
Legislation to establish Great British Energy, a publicly owned renewable energy company, has now passed through Parliament which the Government hopes will hep the UK become a ‘clean energy superpower.’ The £8.5 million that the NHS Humber Health Partnership has received will fund projects similar to that seen at Castle Hill, Mr Miliband explained.
Mr Miliband added: “By investing in solar panels, for example, for public services, we put more money into our public services, but also now the green light from Parliament is passed, GB Energy is going to work with local communities so they can have their own projects and they can see benefits flowing to them.
“Its about delivering the free resources we’ve got, the sun, the wind, and putting that into power that can then put money in people’s pockets.”
Tom Myers, Group Director of Estates for NHS Humber Health Partnership said: “Castle Hill Hospital, and our local community, have been enjoying the benefits of green energy for well over two years now. Not only do our solar fields save us thousands of pounds on energy bills, but they also help to reduce emissions and they power the equipment used to operate on patients, to deliver treatment, and save lives.
“Knowing the potential which solar energy has, we’re thrilled to have been chosen to receive further funding of £8.5m for solar projects across our other hospital sites in Hull, Scunthorpe and Grimsby; funding which will ultimately help to make Scunthorpe General Hospital in particular one of the greenest hospital sites in the country.”
By: Andrew Spence, LDRS
