Great British Energy solar funding expanded to 34 NHS trusts

As part of an expanded scheme to fund solar panels for NHS sites, military sites and schools, 34 NHS trusts across England, including 10 already in programme, will receive funding from Great British Energy and government for new solar panels.

These NHS trusts will install the panels at around 70 more sites, from hospitals to mental health facilities. In total, the scheme will see around 260 NHS sites benefitting.

Estimated energy bill savings over the panels’ lifetime could reach up to £65 million for the trusts from this additional spend.

The scheme covers more than a third of NHS trusts in England, helping them to power health services with clean, homegrown energy, while giving them the potential to sell leftover energy back to the grid.

NHS services have been hit with rocketing energy bills in recent years, costing taxpayers millions of pounds, and eating into healthcare budgets. This has been driven by the UK’s dependency on global fossil fuel markets over which government has no control. The NHS is the single biggest public sector energy user, with an estimated annual energy bill of around £1.34 billion, that has almost doubled since 2019.

Thanks to this partnership between the NHS and Great British Energy, millions could now be invested back into frontline services – as the rollout continues on a scheme that is estimated to see total lifetime energy bill savings for the NHS of up to £325 million – with the average NHS site estimated to save around £35,000 a year in energy bills.

Energy Minister Michael Shanks said:

Great British Energy is helping your local hospital save money on its bills, to be reinvested into the frontline, from nurses to medical equipment.

Across the country, solar panels are going up on rooftops or carpark canopies, to power operating theatres with clean, homegrown power.

This is our clean energy superpower mission in action, protecting our public services with lower bills and energy security.

Great British Energy’s CEO, Dan McGrail said:

Great British Energy has been set up as a publicly owned energy company to help deliver the government’s mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower.

Our ongoing solar rollout delivers tangible benefits to the people that need it most in our hospitals and schools. Our continuing work is ensuring money is being put back into frontline care and education, providing cheap, clean and secure power.

Chris Gormley, Chief Sustainability Officer, NHS England said:

Thanks to this expanded funding through the Great British Energy collaboration, NHS solar generation is set to triple, driving significant cost savings and improving patient care.

This investment will help more trusts slash their energy bills and reinvest those savings directly into frontline care – continuing to support our patients and communities while driving further progress towards a lower carbon, more sustainable health system.

Earlier this month, the government confirmed total funding for the solar scheme had increased to up to £255 million, allowing Great British Energy to support around 260 NHS sites, around 250 schools, and around 15 military sites.

As part of the expanded scheme, 34 NHS trusts will receive a share of up to £30 million.

The scheme is already helping schools nationwide to cut costs, with 14 schools having installed panels alongside five NHS sites.

The rollout of these solar panels marks progress in Great British Energy and government’s Local Power Plan that will ensure the benefits of the government’s clean power mission are felt at a local level, with energy security, good jobs and economic growth – while also helping to rebuild the nation’s public services.

This includes Great British Energy’s investment of £10 million in grant funding for England’s Mayoral Strategic Authorities to deliver local clean energy projects, announced earlier this year. The scheme will see public services across the country – such as libraries, fire stations and care homes – save an estimated £35 million in lifetime energy bill savings to reinvest back into serving their local communities.