Great British Energy solar panels funding for K&C Hospital

East Kent Hospitals has secured £2.2 million from Great British Energy to install its first solar panels at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital.

The panels will be installed on top of a new canopy roof structure above a car park at the site, and will generate clean, renewable energy, while providing shade and shelter for patients and visitors.

Installation will be completed in phases with the project due for completion by the end of March 2026. The canopies can be installed in sections, allowing parts of the car park to remain open throughout the project.

The Trust’s Chief Strategy and Partnership Officer, Ben Stevens said: “This investment is a major step in reducing our carbon emissions and strengthening the energy resilience of our hospitals, and it aligns with our ongoing commitment to creating a sustainable, future-ready Trust.”

In September, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero announced up to £75 million of investment from Great British Energy and the government for multiple military sites, and more schools and NHS trusts, to roll out solar panels.

The NHS is the single biggest public sector energy user, with an estimated annual energy bill of around £1.3 billion, that has almost doubled since 2019.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “There is not just a moral case for this investment, but a pragmatic one too. Every pound the NHS spends on rising energy bills is money that can’t be spent on cutting waiting times.

“By modernising the NHS and cutting wasteful spending, including taking back control of our energy, we will get patients treated faster.”

Thanks to Great British Energy, the 34 trusts awarded funding (announced on Friday) will see estimated combined lifetime energy bill savings of up to £65 million over the next 30 years, to be reinvested in frontline services.

In total, Great British Energy’s solar scheme is now worth up to £255 million, supporting around 250 schools, around 260 NHS sites and around 15 military sites across the country.