Swansea Bay University Health Board Launches Wales’ First Hospital Solar Farm
Swansea Bay University Health Board’s Re:fit project, including Wales’ first hospital solar farm, cuts 3,471 tonnes of CO2 annually and delivers substantial energy and cost savings across its hospitals.
Swansea Bay University Health Board has achieved an award-winning milestone with its energy conservation and generation project delivered through the Re:fit framework. The initiative includes the pioneering installation of Wales’ first hospital solar farm, demonstrating a significant advancement in sustainable energy solutions.
The Challenge:
Swansea Bay University Health Board (SBU) manages NHS services in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot, including three major hospitals – Morriston, Singleton, and Neath Port Talbot – as well as specialist regional services, smaller community hospitals, and primary care resource centres.
The phased works delivered through the Re:fit framework are a crucial part of achieving SBU’s long-term carbon reduction strategy, as outlined in their Sustainability Report. Local Partnerships exclusively provides support to users of the framework nationwide.
In addition to the technical challenges of replacing the aging infrastructure, the project faced the added pressures of working in a live hospital environment during the Covid-19 pandemic. Coordinating with hospital staff was crucial to minimise disruption, whilst working to the highest standards of health, safety and social distancing.
Reducing any environmental impact of the solar farm was also integral. The 20,000 square metre site was thoroughly prepared, geotechnical and topographical surveys were used, and the soil was checked for acidity and resistivity. By employing a flexible frame system that could adapt to the terrain across the two fields, no invasive ground works were needed and there was minimal impact on the environment.
Maintaining continuous electricity supply to the hospital was also vital. To address this, the solar farm delivers electricity at a slightly higher voltage than the grid, prioritising it as its first choice. At night, when the solar farm isn’t generating electricity, the hospital reverts to taking electricity from the grid. In the unlikely event of grid failure, the hospital will take electricity from its backup generators and the solar farm will disconnect until it is safe to bring it back online.
As a significant investment, maintaining security of the solar farm was an important consideration. A perimeter fence and CCTV were installed to maintain site security throughout the project’s lifespan.
As part of the Re:fit framework, the client received an energy performance contract, which guarantees certain KPIs in important areas such as carbon reductions and energy savings. This provided the Health Board with budget certainty.
The Solution:
The project started with a comprehensive survey of the Health Board’s eight highest energy-consuming properties. This enabled energy conservation measures to be identified that would not only deliver strong carbon reduction results but also generate a profit after achieving payback.
Upgrades were then made to eight of the Health Board’s highest energy using buildings, including Morriston, Singleton, Gorseinon and Tonna hospitals, focusing on energy conservation measures such as lighting, air handling and the building energy management system.
Additionally, a 4 MW solar farm was designed and installed at Brynwhillach Farm, providing zero-carbon electricity to Morriston Hospital via a 3 km private wire network. Works included:
- Replacement of 12,880 light fittings with modern LED lights across eight sites, to improve light quality, lowering energy costs and carbon emissions, and reducing maintenance needs.
- Replacement of 67 ventilation system fans and connection to a new air handling system with improved controls, optimising efficiency and comfort.
- Installation of solar panels at five locations on the Singleton Hospital Campus.
- Tailored upgrades to fit the unique size, age, and technology of each hospital estate.
The Impact:
Overall, phases 1 and 2 of the project achieved a 3,471-tonne reduction in CO2 emissions and an 18% decrease in overall building emissions, with 12% of these reductions coming from upgrades to the eight buildings that initially used the most energy. The installation of LED light fittings cut electricity usage by nearly 3.75 million kWh, saving over £500,000 annually.
The installation of solar panels on the Singleton Hospital Campus generates over 170,000 kWh of zero-carbon electricity annually, providing about 95% of the hospital’s electricity needs. This is saving nearly £20,000 per year and reducing carbon emissions by over 47 tonnes.
The hospital also became the first in Wales to install a dedicated solar farm, generating 4MW of electricity. The solar farm delivers guaranteed energy savings of over £487,000, amounting to a 17.9% reduction in energy costs. It also contributes to nearly 1,000 tonnes of carbon savings per year, which equates to 10% of the hospital’s emissions.
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