Energy-efficient hospitals

Energy use in hospitals is a hot topic, with such a large carbon footprint, an energy pricing crisis and a goal of net zero, there is lots that can be done. HB spoke to Heather Foster, sector lead healthcare at Veolia UK about how hospitals can make their energy usage more efficient

How can hospitals go about saving carbon? Is it about turning things off, changing processes, small efficiency changes, something else entirely or a bit of everything?

The NHS is responsible for 40 per cent of the public sector’s emissions. Hospitals can save carbon through strategies, including turning things off, changing processes, and reducing their reliance on fossil fuel technology. By implementing these measures, hospitals can save carbon, improve the efficiency of their operations and make steps towards their decarbonisation targets. Getting a thirdparty energy audit of your estate can reveal a GreenPath towards carbon savings.

What is the best area to make changes in? Trusts have a limited budget, where can a small change make a big difference?

Veolia can support Trusts in England to apply for Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme Funding, which is administered by Salix to the healthcare sector. This funding from the Government helps to reach the NHS Net Zero target of 2040. More than £409 million has already been awarded under this scheme. The window for applications to Phase 3C of this funding is expected to open in autumn 2023.

Many trusts have large sites, with big energy demands. However, how can this be used to their advantage to perhaps generate their own energy and reduce their carbon?

Veolia is focused on delivering Ecological Transformation, where historically hospitals have relied on large volumes of power from the grid, Veolia has adapted an energy mix. Balancing the needs to maintain power and heat for essential patient care with the benefits of cost management and environmental stewardship. Our approach is systemic and the larger and more complex the energy demands, the more of our solutions we can employ. We have over 120 products and services that decarbonise the operation of a building. Often these solutions are cumulative, meaning that the more we use in an integrated system, the greater the benefit.

We take a holistic approach and look at how we can reduce the demands before implementing new technologies to provide a sustainable solution for generating energy. This can also help with the replacement of old equipment that is on the backlog maintenance list.

Can you provide any examples of a trust or hospital that has made large energy savings.

Veolia advances carbon reductions for two acute hospitals for the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, one of the largest teaching hospital trusts in England that treats over 2.8 million patients each year.

By applying heat pump and solar technologies, it will help the Trust achieve the NHS Net Zero goal by saving 3,847 tonnes of CO₂ each year. L www.veolia.co.uk/sectors/healthcare

Fordingbridge are industry leaders in canopies and external builds designed to enhance healthcare and emergency service facilities throughout the year as weather protective solutions.

Maximise healthcare environments with a range of Fordingbridge canopy solutions offering excellent safeguarding measures, weather protection, and ensuring impressive canopy coverage, even in those seemingly inaccessible spaces.

We offer the design and build of:

• Bespoke canopies •

• Turnkey solutions •

• Optimised walkways •

• Sustainable buildings •