Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust (FHFT) secured £6m in government funding to install solar panels and energy storage systems across their hospitals, in a bid to reduce carbon emissions and energy costs as part of a £100million initiative by Great British Energy (GBE) to expand renewable power across the NHS.
Vital Energi partnered with FHFT on the proviso that the installation started at Wexham Park, Heatherwood and Greenwood offices in February.
Following detailed modelling and site assessments, Vital Energi designed a scheme tailored to the Trust’s needs, delivering the full project, from design and procurement, through to installation, commissioning and handover, plus a hand over period once operational to ensure optimal performance from day one.
Once complete, Vital Energi will have installed over 3,000 photovoltaic (PV) solar panels across buildings and over a car port at Wexham Park Hospital. This is expected to generate around 1,400,000 kWh of renewable energy - enough energy to power around 518 homes a year.
At Heatherwood Hospital and Greenwood offices, 670 PV solar panels will be installed, creating around 260,000 kWh of energy – enough to power 96 homes for a year.
Any excess energy generated from the panels will be stored in a battery energy storage system (BESS) to maximise on-site usage, while improving energy resilience across the site.
Scott Lutton, Regional Director at Vital Energi, said: “Projects like this show how renewable energy can be seamlessly built into complex healthcare environments to deliver real, long‑term value. By combining large-scale solar with battery storage, we’re helping Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust take greater control of its energy use.”
Construction is well underway with the systems expected to be fully operational soon, marking another milestone in the Trust’s decarbonisation journey.
