Wakefield hospitals and Ambulance Service HQ secure solar funding
The buildings will be among the first to benefit from the major investment by Great British Energy, the government’s new state-owned energy company.
Two Wakefield hospitals and the Yorkshire Ambulance Service headquarters have secured a share of a £180m solar energy investment.
The buildings will be among the first to benefit from the major investment by Great British Energy, the government’s new state-owned energy company.
It is part of efforts to reduce the country’s planet-warming emissions.
The funding will ensure Pinderfields Hospital, Fieldhead Hospital and the ambulance service headquarters, based at Junction 41 Industrial Estate, are equipped with solar panels.
The initiative aims to cut energy bills at these sites, allowing savings to be reinvested into delivering more frontline services for patients.
Once installed, solar panel projects are estimated to save the NHS an additional £8.6m each year, ultimately contributing up to £260m in savings over their lifetime.
Hundreds of schools and hospitals across the UK were been chosen to benefit from the scheme in an government announcement on Friday (March 21).
Simon Lightwood, MP for Wakefield and Rothwell said: “This represents a big step towards a more sustainable and cost-effective NHS, as well as driving forward a cleaner and greener future for everyone.
“I’m proud that Pinderfields, Fieldhead and the Yorkshire Ambulance Service in my constituency are benefiting from this government funding.
“This landmark investment demonstrates Labour’s commitment to improving efficiency within the NHS, while embracing renewable energy solutions to reduce environmental impact”.
The government also hopes that the project, to provide solar panels for 200 schools and 200 hospitals, will reduce the use of fossil fuels across public property and help achieve its long-term climate goals.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “Right now, money that should be spent on your children’s education or your family’s healthcare is instead being wasted on sky-high energy bills.
“Great British Energy’s first major project will be to help our vital public institutions save hundreds of millions on bills to reinvest on the frontline”.
The move was welcomed by the school leaders union and NHS providers who said it would also help to manage the “enormous financial pressure” of energy bills.
But Andrew Bowie, shadow energy secretary, said the government’s net zero plans would make the country “poorer”.
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