Polysolar, a Cambridge based producer of Building Integrated Photovoltaics, sees significant potential for solar energy generations in the NHS estate - not only from roof tops, but also from building facades, canopies, carparks and bike shelters etc.
Hamish Watson, CEO of Polysolar, points out that the launch last month of the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) Solar PV Strategy, specifically emphasises the deployment of building mounted PV on public buildings, such as hospitals, as a means of both reducing carbon emissions and reducing operational costs.
The Rt Hon Gregory Barker MP – Minister of State at DECC states in the Forward to the Solar PV Strategy: “There are an estimated 250,000 hectares of south facing commercial roofs in the UK. With the obvious environmental benefits and financial advantages for any organisation installing solar PV it makes perfect sense to exploit this opportunity. Government will be playing its part too, using the public estate such as MoD buildings, schools, and hospitals to make sure that not one inch of suitable Government roof space is wasted. Government must build on the success of our own energy efficiency drive and now strive to install up to 1 GWp of solar PV on our own land and buildings over the coming years.”
The installation at Wythenshawe Clinical Sciences building was completed on schedule with no interruption caused to the vital 24-hour laboratory services. The solar array is expected to save up to 30 tons of CO2 a year and reduce the building’s substantial electricity cost by up to 10% saving over £10,000 a year. “This is part of the hospital’s on-going goal of becoming carbon neutral. Staking its bold claim as “Britain’s greenest hospital”, according to Julian Hartley, the Trust’s Chief Executive.
According to Hamish, “The public sector has traditionally been seen as a laggard in the adoption of Solar PV, but the clear economic and environmental benefits are now indisputable. Wythenshawe Hospital is now evaluating opportunities for solar across its estate and Polysolar aims to drive this growth across the NHS trusts with a variety of innovative and cost effective solutions.
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Polysolar targets NHS with solar roof
2 May 2014
Polysolar, in collaboration with Playfords Electrical, has completed its first NHS hospital tender, a 72kW rooftop installation at the Wythenshawe Hospital, a major acute teaching hospital of the University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust.