As part of the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust’s green plan, Vital Energi helped them secure funding from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) as part of PSDS Phase 3, delivered by Salix Finance.
The scheme aims to put the public sector at the forefront of decarbonising buildings in the UK. The Trust will use the funding to install low carbon heating solutions to replace fossil fuel fired equipment as part of their roadmap to reach net zero by 2040.
Solar, ASHPs, thermal insulation, among the plans for installation
Ashley Malin, managing director of Vital Energi (Solutions), said: “PSDS is a great opportunity for public sector organisations to make strides on their decarbonisation journey and we’re delighted to have successfully supported The Hospital of St Cross through their PSDS application.
“We’re looking forward to installing the multi-technology energy solution we’ve designed which will save over 600 tonnes of carbon per year and accelerate the hospital’s journey to net zero by 2040.”
Significantly reducing the trust’s carbon footprint, plans include the installation of energy conservation measures, comprising a 200kW air source heat pump (ASHP), thermal insulation measures, and the removal of a fossil fuel-fired plant, all to make the hospital site more energy efficient.
A solar array of 1,250 solar panels covering 2,403m2 producing 500kWp will also be installed on the available roof spaces across the estate.
District heating network
University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust’s Chief Executive Officer, Professor Andy Hardy, said: “It is terrific news to hear our application has been successful and we can press ahead with this work. Not only will it help the trust’s goals in terms of energy conservation and support the delivery of the trust’s Green Plan, but it will provide a positive financial saving going forward that can be reinvested in patient care.”
To enable site-wide utilisation of heat from the ASHP, Vital Energi will also implement a district heating network to interconnect the heating loads of the three areas of the site currently served by three separate energy centres.
As well as supplying low carbon heat across the estate and improving local air quality, this will reduce maintenance costs associated with gas-fired boilers and enable connection of further low-carbon generation systems at a later date. It will also improve the energy supply resilience, which is essential for a hospital providing patient services 24/7.
Business and energy minister, Lord Callanan, said: “Using cleaner technology to heat our civic buildings is helping to shield public sector organisations from costly fossil fuels, especially at a time of high global prices. This funding will bring significant savings for taxpayers of well over half a billion pounds each year by making public buildings cheaper to run, heat and cool, whilst supporting economic growth and jobs across the country.”
Salix client support officer, Gbenga Adenaike, added: “We are delighted to be able to support the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust meet its net zero and energy saving goals. This project will have a positive impact on the staff, visitors and of course the patients.”