SOUTH Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) has become one of the first NHS sites in the country to install new Great British Energy solar panels, it has announced.
Earlier this year, SCAS successfully secured over £1 million of NHS funding for solar projects in four locations across the trust’s estate, cutting the trust’s bills by over £32,000 a year just from the first of four planned installations.
The funding was part of a £100m investment in solar and battery installations in a scheme run jointly by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Great British Energy (GBE) and NHS England.
Winchester and Eastleigh Resource Centre became the trust’s first installation to be completed, and is now generating its own solar power from 609 panels supported by a 345kWh battery system.
The yearly average net energy bill savings from this first site will exceed £32,000 a year.
With the panels and batteries having a 25-year performance guarantee, over the lifetime of their use, SCAS will save at least an estimated £842,000 in energy costs.
The installation is the first of four that will be completed over the coming months.
Combined with the growing number of electric vehicles joining the SCAS fleet, these initiatives will play a vital role in reducing the trust’s environmental impact.
Together, the trust says they mark a ‘significant step’ towards SCAS’ net zero targets and ensuring the organisation continues to provide high-quality care while protecting the planet for future generations.
Jonathan Guppy, head of sustainability at SCAS, said: “This is a hugely important milestone for the trust as we take tangible steps to cut our energy costs and carbon footprint, and release more money to spend directly on patient care.
“The installation at Winchester & Eastleigh is already making a real difference and is just the beginning of a wider programme of work that will deliver long-term environmental and financial benefits across our estate.”
