Staff at the Royal United Hospital have been recognised for their energy saving efforts with a national award.
The hospital won Best Energy Management Project at the Public Sector Sustainability Awards for an ambitious conservation programme which has cut the Trust’s carbon footprint.
In 2009/10 the carbon footprint was estimated at 15,000 tonnes of C02, which has dropped to 12,500 this year. We anticipate that the impact of our new energy centre will see our footprint fall below 10,000 tonnes in the next full financial year.
Director of Estates and Facilities Howard Jones says: “We are delighted that our efforts to save energy have been recognised with this award.
“Team Green, our sustainability committee, leads our work to become greener with membership drawn from a wide range of staff – the only qualification is to be passionate about promoting the green agenda in the workplace.
“Our carbon reductions are significant and are a huge encouragement to a Trust whose commitment to carbon reduction goes hand in hand with our normal business of caring for our local population.”
Over the last three years a number of energy conservation projects have been completed, and the most significant of these – our new Energy Centre – opened in September. The new, gas-fired combined heat and power plant, which replaced inefficient 34-year-old steam boilers, will reduce the carbon footprint by 3,000 tonnes of C02 per year, and save £2,000 per day in fuel costs.
Other energy-saving projects at the hospital include:
- The new Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), which opened in July with a ground-breaking design which has resulted in a sustainable building with a low carbon footprint and low heat loss
- The installation of energy-saving LED lighting where possible. These lights have been fitted in wards, corridors and all external street lamps
- An energy awareness campaign, which was launched in June aimed at involving all staff in saving energy, with the aim of establishing an environmental awareness representative in each department to help reduce energy use and fuel costs.
