A 1.1MWp solar car park (SCP) will provide 1,000MWh of electricity to Eastbourne District General Hospital.
Developed by sustainable resource management company Veolia and SCP specialists 3ti, the new solar array – consisting of 2,412 solar panels across eight canopies – will cover 400 car parking spaces in the hospital.
The SCP will also feature ten solar-powered electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints for staff to use.
Chris Hodgson, director of estates and facilities at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust said that the completion of the SCP was “another significant step” in the Trusts’ journey to net zero, alongside the installation of heat pumps to reduce energy usage across the site.
The solar array forms part of a £27 million energy management contract with Veolia to upgrade the hospital’s energy efficiency and usage, with funding provided by the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.
Earlier this year, the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme also granted funding to Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, which, through its partnership with E.ON, is delivering a 15-year energy efficiency programme includes a geothermal heating and cooling system.
“Achieving the NHS net zero targets, and maintaining the essential patient care facilities, requires a holistic building approach. By using the areas above the car park this latest project is an excellent example of how we can transform the space above ground level to deliver renewable energy,” said John Abraham, chief operating officer at Veolia UK & Ireland, Industrial, Water & Energy.
“This further contributes to the NHS decarbonisation programme by reducing emissions, builds energy security for the hospital, and improves energy cost savings. We look forward to working with the teams at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust and helping them achieve their environmental goals.”
Tim Evans, founder & CEO at 3ti called the project a “win-win” for all involved, proving how simply organisations can transform their car parks into a source of renewable energy source.
3ti powered another SCP this year in dubbed Papilio3. These solar-powered EV charging hubs are made using recycled shipping containers and have a solar capacity of just under 20kWp.