CLCH awarded funding to expand solar and energy-saving upgrades

The Trust has been awarded £300,335 to expand its use of solar energy and battery storage across four of its sites.

Announced by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero as part of the Great British Energy Local Power Plan, the funding forms part of a national £100 million investment to help NHS organisations reduce energy costs, cut carbon emissions and improve sustainability across estates.

The funding will support:

• New solar panel installations at Queen’s Park Health Centre, Elstree Way Clinic and Harpenden Memorial Hospital
• Battery storage installation at Langley House Health Centre, which already benefits from solar panels.

Battery storage improves energy efficiency by enabling the Trust to store and use more of the renewable electricity generated on-site.

CLCH has already completed solar installations at six sites: Langley House, Potters Bar, Oak Lane, Worlds End, Parsons Green and Watling. A seventh installation is currently under way at Honeypot Lane. With the new funding, the Trust will reach a total of ten solar-powered sites.

This funding announcement comes on top of another recent grant relating to energy efficiency. In January, CLCH was awarded £156,000 from the National Energy Efficiency Fund for the installation of smart LED lighting at Honeypot Lane.

Tom Wright, Director of Sustainability at CLCH and West London NHS Trust, said:

"This funding is a significant step forward for CLCH. By expanding our use of solar and battery storage, we are reducing our carbon footprint and supporting the NHS net zero goals. These upgrades also reduce our energy bills, meaning more resources can be reinvested into patient care.”

The scheme is jointly run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Department of Health and Social Care, Great British Energy and NHS England.