Suffolk CHP installation scoops green award
Combined heat and power technology a \'flagship\' for a low-carbon NHS
A project to install a combined heat and power unit (CHP) at West Suffolk Hospital has been heralded as the way forward for cutting the NHS carbon footprint after scooping the East Anglia CIBSE Carbon Reduction Award 2012 .
The energy-efficient unit was installed in April 2010 and was funded through a grant of £900,000 from the Department of Health. It generates about two thirds of the hospital’s electricity and half of its heat, in turn helping to save nearly £150,000 in annual utility costs. In addition, the unit has helped reduce the amount of CO2 produced by the trust by 1,800 tonnes a year.
The equipment also acts as a standby generator in case of a mains power failure and as a boiler providing heating and hot water. As a result, the trust has saved additional money that would otherwise have been spent installing extra generators and boilers as the hospital site expands in the future.
Ian Stuchbury, estates manager for West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are very pleased to have been presented with this award in recognition of our efforts to reduce our carbon emissions and environmental impact.
“As well as supporting our drive for sustainability, the unit is also helping the trust to make significant financial savings while giving us added security if the mains power fails.
The CHP equipment was supplied and installed by Dresser-Rand Company.
The CIBSE award comes two months after the hospital was presented with a Creating the Greenest County accolade in recognition of the efforts made to reduce emissions from transport.
