Swansea Bay University Health Board

Swansea Bay UHB - RE:FIT Phase 1 & 2

Executive Summary

The Swansea Bay University Health Board (SBUHB) had planned a phased programme of energy conservation and generation measures, via the Re:Fit framework, with the support of Welsh Government and Salix Funding. Planned works included a range of energy conservation measures at eight of their highest use buildings as well as a 4MW Solar Farm which will provide electricity for Morriston Hospital

  • reducing-carbon
    3,471 Tonnes of CO2 reduction
  • Icon Energy Supply
    10,000 Solar Panels
  • Vital Energi Reduction Icon
    18% Reduction in building emissions
  • hospital
    1st Hospital with dedicated solar farm
Swansea2020 7689

Vital Energi were chosen to deliver the investment grade proposals (IGP) for both the Energy Conservation Measure works and the Solar Farm Project.   This involved a detailed survey of the Health Board’s eight highest energy properties and identifying energy conservation measurers which would, not only deliver strong carbon reduction results, but would also generate a profit after achieving payback.

The IGP clearly details the carbon and financial savings for all suggested works and brings a level of budgetary certainty to the clients, as well as risk mitigation, by providing an energy performance contract which guarantees set targets for the course of the contract.

Once the IGP had been finalised and accepted by the client, we began the installation works and in addition to the technical challenges of replacing the aging infrastructure, we had the additional complexities of working in a live hospital environment during the Covid pandemic.  This meant we would have to work with the hospital to minimise disruption as well as working to the highest standards of health, safety and social distancing.

Solution detail

The hospital is a difficult site environment to work in anyway but with COVID it’s been amplified and Vital have worked well with us to implement the right measures under the restrictions. The solar farm has provided us a landmark project in Wales

Geraint Williams, Project Director at GEP Environmental ltd

Vital were very accommodating and mobilised on site well. Very good quality of installation and workmanship, complies and integrates with the hospital system well. They have been extremely collaborative; they have a good attitude and support us well.

Geraint Williams, Project Director at GEP Environmental ltd

Key Benefits

SBUHB has a long-term carbon reduction strategy outlined in their Sustainability Report and the phased works delivered through the Re:Fit framework are seen as a key element in achieving their goals.
Eight of the Health Board’s highest energy using buildings have been upgraded including Morriston Hospital, Singleton Hospital, Gorseinon Hospital and Tonna Hospital and these upgrades will account for a 12% reduction in emissions across the estate.
These upgrades concentrate on energy conservation measures such as lighting, air handling and the building energy management system. The second phase saw us design install and operate the health board’s solar farm which would supply zero-carbon electricity to the nearby Morriston hospital.

Swansea Bay UHB | RE:FIT Phase 1&2

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