University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust’s work to radically transform its estate to significantly cut its carbon output is showcased in a new video released by public sector decarbonisation organisation Salix Finance, one month after COP27.
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% 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 instal lagging – heat insulation of hot water tanks and pipes – double-glazed windows, and add more solar panels on the roof.
The £17.5m project also means the trust can move to an electric heating system, which, in turn, means it can replace its gas-powered system to one using heat pumps.
The video, released this week, features Bristol and Weston NHS Trust’s senior energy and sustainability manager, Ned Maynard, who 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 (BEIS).
It 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 estates.
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.”