A solar car park (SCP) has been installed at Eastbourne District General Hospital (EDGH), with ten solar-powered EV charge points for staff use.

This makes the hospital the first in the UK to take this step which will produce 1,000 MWh of solar-generated electricity annually, and lower CO2 emissions by 222 tonnes in the first year.
 
The new solar array comprises over 2,412 solar panels across eight canopies that cover 400 car parking spaces. As high energy users, the hospital will make significant savings by generating its own renewable electricity on site, and reduce the hospital’s reliance on electricity from the national grid.  
 
The SCP is part of the £27m energy management contract with Veolia to upgrade Eastbourne District General Hospital, and deliver wide ranging energy upgrades and target carbon savings of 4,129 tonnes per year. With funding provided through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme for affordable, low carbon energy efficiency upgrades across the public sector, the scheme is one of the first to take a whole building approach that accounts for how facilities and the energy delivery systems interact with each other, while maintaining an indoor environment that enhances patient care.
 
Chris Hodgson, director of estates and facilities at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “The completion of the new solar array is another significant step on our journey to net zero. The solar farm alongside other improvements, including new insulation and heat pumps, at Eastbourne DGH will lead to a significant reduction in the use of energy across the site which will be a key part of our work to provide sustainable healthcare.”

The SCP has been installed by Veolia and 3ti.