Decarbonising the heating system at a UK healthcare trust is expected to save more than £800,000 a year.
Decarbonising the estate of University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust aimed to reduce costs and achieve climate action targets. The multi-million pound works that took place include replacing the steam district heating system with a hot water system.
The new heating system is 18 per cent more efficient and the trust is expected to save more than £800,000 a year over the next two years and 12kWh of gas following these measures.
Next, the trust is looking to install lagging-(heat insulation of hot water tanks/pipes), double glazing windows and adding more solar panels on the roof.
The £17.5m project means the trust can now move to an electric heating system, which, in turn, means they can replace their gas powered system to one using heat pumps.
Bristol and Weston NHS Trust’s senior energy and sustainability manager Ned Maynard said: “The works we’ve done with Salix Finance have already saved us significant amounts of money and carbon but this is just the start. The next steps, which involve the installation of heat pumps, will enable us to reach our ultimate objective of being net zero by 2030.”
Salix Finance is a non departmental public body funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The company delivers the multi-billion pound Public Sector Decarbonisaton Scheme which enables public sector organisations to apply for funding to deliver low carbon heating projects and improve the energy efficiency of their estate. The UK has a target to reach net zero by 2050, which is enshrined in law.
James Garth, Salix Finance’s NHS programme manager, said: “This project will improve the environment for patients at the trust and also provides people in Bristol of a tangible example of how they’re contributing to tackling climate change.”
University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust’s work in decarbonising its estate is showcased in this video by Salix Finance.
