Major decarbonisation work at two Birmingham hospitals

Using a £22 million investment from the Salix Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) Phase 3a, and additional Trust funding, the Good Hope Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham will gain from extensive energy upgrades that will further cut carbon emissions. The works are being delivered through an Energy Performance Contract with Veolia awarded through the Carbon  and Energy Fund framework, which provides project management and technical support to the projects. Designed using ‘the whole building approach’, these will help the Trust achieve the NHS Net Zero goal by saving 3,847 tonnes of CO₂ each year.

Located in Edgbaston, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham will lower its carbon footprint by 2086 tonnes per year through conversion from steam for heating, and its replacement with a hot water system backed by the integration of a 1 MW multi-stage heat pump system. To ensure the efficiency of the new system, 2,000 m² of roof insulation will be installed, and the control systems optimised. Installation of a 314 kWe solar array will further help decarbonise the hospital's electricity supply, by adding renewable power, and electricity consumption will be reduced by fitting some 2962 LED luminaires.

Upgrades at the Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield will mirror those being implemented at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, with a similar steam to hot water conversion. To achieve a total annual saving of 1760 tonnes of CO_2, the hospital will use  a 650 kW multi-stage heat pump system, new hot water boilers, 9,500 m² of roof insulation, and new building energy management systems. Existing internal lighting will be replaced by 1992 LED luminaires.

Vicky Marshment, Sustainability lead at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Working with Veolia on these projects will make a significant difference in reducing the Trust’s carbon footprint, as we move towards our Net Zero target.”