The £5 million work programme at Heartlands Hospital was financed and structured around the principles of a Public Private Partnership contract, and included a £403,000 grant from the Carbon Trust under the Government’s Community Energy Programme. ENER-G provides the trust with a guaranteed level of performance for the system over a 15 year period. The programme is expected to save £688,000 a year, reducing carbon emissions and boosting resources for patient care.

At the heart of the scheme is a new, aesthetically designed Energy Centre located near the hospital’s landmark main entrance. The new Energy Centre, which was installed by ENER-G Combined Power, replaced ageing coal fired boilers which had served the Trust well for many years.

The new system comprises a state-of-the-art gas fired ‘trigeneration‘ system that creates electricity, steam or hot water for the winter heating and chilled water for use in the air conditioning systems during the warmer summer months. Improving the chilled water system has allowed cool air to reach parts of the hospital that were not previously serviced, increasing comfort for patients as well as hospital staff.

The combined heat and power (CHP) scheme delivered by ENER-G enables the hospital to generate its own electricity in a purpose designed Energy Centre, cutting emissions of CO2 by 5,600 tonnes per year – the equivalent of a forest of 560,000 trees – as well as reducing other harmful green house gases such as Sulphur Dioxide.