New solar panel funding awarded to several trusts across Cheshire and Merseyside
Tuesday, 25 March 2025
Thousands of pounds are expected to be saved and put back into frontline care thanks to funding awarded to install new solar panels at several trust sites across Cheshire and Merseyside.
Last week the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero announced a package of £100 million from Great British Energy for the NHS to install solar power and battery storage solutions to help drive down energy bills, offering better value for the taxpayer.
The trusts who have been successful in their bid for this groundbreaking new funding across Cheshire and Merseyside include:
- Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
- Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Cheshire And Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust
- Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust
- Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
- Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
As an example, Bridgewater Community Healthcare has been awarded £160,000 to install solar panels at the organisation’s corporate headquarters in Birchwood.
At current electricity price costs, it could save the organisation almost £25,000 each year. In total, 227 panels will be installed on the roof of Spencer House by late summer.
Spanning an area of 453 square metres, it is estimated the annual electricity generated will be almost 90,000kWh (enough energy to power an average UK household for approx. 25 years).
Investing in renewable energy generation will deliver reductions in energy costs that can be redirected into front line care.
These new solar panel installation projects are expected to deliver savings of around £8.6 million a year across the NHS, and up to £260 million over the panel’s lifetime.
Dave Sweeney, Associate Director of Partnerships and Sustainability for NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, said:
“We are pleased to see so many of our trusts in Cheshire and Merseyside awarded this funding, which reinforces our ambition to create a greener, more sustainable future for healthcare in Cheshire and Merseyside.
“Investing in renewable energy is a crucial step in reducing our environmental impact while ensuring that resources are directed where they are needed most - into front line patient care.”
Chief Sustainability Officer at NHS England, Chris Gormley added:
“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.”
You can find out more about our sustainability work and the green plan for Cheshire and Merseyside here.