A project by East Cheshire NHS Trust to transform its energy infrastructure across two hospitals will shrink its carbon footprint by approximately 30% while delivering guaranteed cost savings of £2.5m over 15 years.
The trust has appointed UK energy management and combined heat and power (CHP) specialist, ENER-G, to undertake the project, utilising the Carbon and Energy Fund framework, funding, process and contract.
There will be no initial capital outlay by the trust. The technology will pay for itself over a 15-year contract period via energy, environmental and operational savings guaranteed by ENER-G.
The centrepiece of the energy savings scheme will be a 530kWe ENER-G combined heat and power (CHP) system to be installed in an existing plant room at Macclesfield District General Hospital. The acute hospital will also benefit from replacement of inefficient electric radiators, pumps and ageing electric chillers, insulation of valves and pipe work and fine tuning of the building energy management system.
By generating our own energy supply onsite at Macclesfield District General Hospital via CHP we will dramatically reduce our dependence on higher-cost power sourced from the grid while boosting our environmental performance
Other major energy efficiency improvements across both Macclesfield and Congleton War Memorial hospitals include the replacement of 3,250 light fittings with high-efficiency LED lighting, together with boiler efficiency improvements.
The energy improvements are projected to deliver carbon dioxide emissions savings of 2,049 tonnes a year, equivalent to the environmental benefit of removing 683 cars from the road or the carbon dioxide that would be offset by 1,680 acres of forest.
The energy services contract was tendered and supported through the Carbon and Energy Fund (CEF), which provides participating trusts with specialist expertise, rapid project deployment, and access to capital funding that is recovered over a 15-year contract period through guaranteed cost savings that are underwritten by the appointed contractor. As an approved contractor within the CEF framework, ENER-G will design, build and operate the project.
Robert Few, head of estates operations for East Cheshire NHS Trust, said: "By generating our own energy supply onsite at Macclesfield District General Hospital via CHP we will dramatically reduce our dependence on higher-cost power sourced from the grid while boosting our environmental performance. The modern new energy infrastructure will be paid for via the cost savings we make, with any surplus savings retained by the trust."
Alan Barlow, managing director of ENER-G Combined Power, added: "We are delighted to work with East Cheshire NHS Trust to help it reduce its carbon footprint and save money on energy. As specialists in CHP, we are developing a bespoke system for Macclesfield District General Hospital that will achieve more than double the efficiency of its existing energy supplies. We are experienced in delivering complex energy management projects in the healthcare sector, having partnered with more than 50 hospitals.”