University Hospitals Dorset has been awarded £1,368,761 to install further solar panels at Poole Hospital and the Royal Bournemouth Hospital (RBH), saving £177k a year in energy costs and supporting investment into frontline care.

It is part of a wider £100m package from Great British Energy, announced by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and supporting the NHS to install solar power and battery storage solutions to help drive down energy bills.

The grant will fund solar panels on multistorey car parks and will fully cover the cost of delivering these new panels. The solar panels are expected to generate 700,000 kWh each year, reducing energy bills by £177k per each year. The panels are guaranteed for 15 years meaning UHD will save at least £2.5m in energy costs over the life of the project. The installation will take place this summer and will contribute around 200 tonnes of carbon savings each year.

UHD’s Sustainability and Carbon Manager, Stuart Lane, said: “This is a real boost to our Green Plan and good for our finances too. We have also commissioned several other solar panel projects and this funding will accelerate the pace at which we can meet the full potential of solar generated on our sites, meaning we are a step close to our net zero targets and redirecting energy costs to patient care”.

UHD is also taking a new approach to the decarbonisation of its estate with efficient new hospital buildings such as the new BEACH Building and a £2.1m LED lighting investment to bring older buildings up to modern standards.

Chief Sustainability Officer at NHS England, Chris Gormley, said: “Thanks to the dedication of teams nationwide, the NHS has already implemented hundreds of projects that enhance energy efficiency and drive significant cost savings. This groundbreaking new investment, across 78 NHS Trusts on around 200 sites, will expand solar power generation within the NHS by over 300%, slashing energy costs by hundreds of millions of pounds. These vital savings can be reinvested directly into frontline care, ensuring the NHS continues to deliver for our patients and communities.”