Spire Gatwick Park Hospital installs 144 solar panels to help achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030
21 January 2025
Spire Gatwick Park Hospital has just completed the installation of 144 solar panels with a further 50 to be installed giving a total of 194, as part of a major carbon reduction programme at the hospital. The panels are expected to generate 6% of the hospital’s annual electrical needs and reduce the overall carbon output of the hospital by 26.5 tonnes.
The installation is part of a programme across Spire Healthcare, to put in place over 12,000 solar panels at all of its 38 hospitals across England, Wales and Scotland this year, backed by an investment of £5.2m. This is the largest investment in solar technology by a UK independent hospital group.
Nationwide, the programme will reduce the hospital estate’s combined annual carbon footprint by approximately 968 tonnes, the equivalent of:
- planting 44,000 trees
- taking 390 medium-sized cars off the road
- flying from London to Sydney almost 200 times.
Spire Healthcare has committed to become carbon neutral by 2030, the first independent sector healthcare provider in the UK to do so.
Other environmental initiatives at the hospital include a £100k investment in an upgraded building management system, which will lead to a reduction in both gas and electricity usage by using energy smarter. The hospital has a dedicated carbon champion, who promotes sustainability throughout the hospital and encourages colleagues to think about what they can do to reduce carbon usage. This investment is in addition to a £1m investment in 2024 for new energy efficient chillers with a heat recovery system plus a LED lighting replacement programme.
Jayne Cassidy, Hospital Director at Spire Gatwick Park Hospital, said:
“Environmental sustainability is a core component of our strategy and I’m delighted that we’ve been able to install solar panels here at Spire Gatwick Park Hospital. I’m proud of all my colleagues’ enthusiasm and determination to meet our goal of becoming carbon neutral by the end of 2030.”
