Mid Yorkshire awarded solar panel funding

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has 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.

As part of this groundbreaking new funding, the Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust has been awarded £2.7 million to install solar panels at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield.

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, and up to £260 million over the panel’s lifetime, across the NHS.

Mid Yorkshire’s solar project will involve the installation of approximately 3,000 rooftop PV panels – totalling just under 1MW of installed capacity – across the Pinderfields site. Once completed, it is expected to save around £250,000 each year through avoided electricity bill costs, which will represent a significant positive contribution to organisational finances. The project will also lead to a carbon reduction of approximately 200 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent.

Chief Infrastructure Officer at Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, Mark Braden, said:

We are thrilled to receive this £2.7m grant from the government to install rooftop solar. I’m proud to oversee this transformative project, which not only strengthens our financial position but also advances our sustainability goals by reducing our yearly CO₂ emissions. This initiative, set to be completed within the 2025/26 financial year alongside our valued partners Consort Healthcare and Equans, marks a significant step toward achieving our net zero ambitions while enhancing the resilience of our infrastructure for the benefit of patients, staff and the wider community.

Chief Sustainability Officer at NHS England, Chris Gormley, said:

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 front-line care, ensuring the NHS continues to deliver for our patients and communities.