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Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) is celebrating after being awarded over £2m towards solar panel funding installation across multiple sites.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero announced a package of £100 million from Great British Energy for the NHS to install solar power and battery storage solutions to help drive down energy bills, offering better value for the taxpayer.
WWL has been awarded £2,148,000 to install solar panels at all three hospital sites including: Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, Wrightington Hospital and Leigh Infirmary, as well as community locations such as the Ashton Research Hub, Blackrock, Golborne Clinic, Hindley Health Centre, Longshoot Health Centre, Shevington Clinic, and Tyldesley Clinic.
Investing in renewable energy generation will reduce energy costs that can be redirected into front line care. Across the NHS as a whole, these solar panel projects are expected to deliver savings of around £8.6 million a year, and up to £260 million over the panel’s lifetime.
At WWL, 3,235 modules are set to be installed by April 2026, which will generate an expected saving of £300,000, or the equivalent annual electricity consumption of 518 UK households.
Richard Mundon, Deputy Chief Executive of WWL said: “This is fantastic news for WWL. This funding will certainly help us achieve a sustainable future and achieving our Net Zero strategy by 2045.
“The healthcare sector can play a vital role in helping the UK adapt to a changing climate and reducing its carbon footprint. WWL recognises the impact of our activities on the health of current and future generations, and we continue to encourage our staff to adopt practices that reduce resource consumption and minimise environmental harm whilst providing high quality patient care.”
Chief Sustainability Officer at NHS England, Chris Gormley said: “Thanks to the dedication of teams nationwide, the NHS has already implemented hundreds of projects that enhance energy efficiency and drive significant cost savings. This groundbreaking new investment, across 78 NHS Trusts on around 200 sites, will expand solar power generation within the NHS by over 300%, slashing energy costs by hundreds of millions of pounds. These vital savings can be reinvested directly into frontline care, ensuring the NHS continues to deliver for our patients and communities.”
WWL also recently secured nearly £2m in funding for essential lighting upgrades through the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) Phase 3, to reduce energy consumption, cut costs and advance the Trust’s Green Plan with Internet of Things (IoT) and LED retrofits across five sites. These upgrades are set to generate up to £8.6m in energy and maintenance cost savings across the 25-year lifetime of the product.