Spire St Anthony’s Hospital completed the installation on March 25.
The panels are expected to generate 7 per cent of the hospital’s annual electrical needs and reduce the overall carbon output of the hospital by 92,000 tonnes.
The installation is part of a programme across Spire Healthcare to put in place more than 12,000 solar panels at all of its 38 hospitals across England, Wales, and Scotland this year, backed by an investment of £5.2 million.
Nationwide, the programme will reduce the hospital estate’s combined annual carbon footprint by approximately 968 tonnes.
This is the equivalent of planting 44,000 trees, taking 390 medium-sized cars off the road, or flying from London to Sydney almost 200 times.
Spire Healthcare has committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2030, the first independent sector healthcare provider in the UK to do so.
Other environmental initiatives at the hospital include EV chargers, movement sensor lighting in offices, promotion of cycle to work, and recycling.
The hospital has a dedicated carbon champion, who promotes sustainability throughout the hospital and encourages colleagues to think about what they can do to reduce carbon usage.
Susan Holliday, hospital director at Spire St Anthony’s Hospital, said: “Environmental sustainability is a core component of our strategy and I’m delighted that we’ve been able to install solar panels here at Spire St Anthony’s Hospital.
“I’m proud of all my colleagues’ enthusiasm and determination to meet our goal of becoming carbon neutral by the end of 2030.”
The solar panel installation is part of the largest investment in solar technology by a UK independent hospital group.
