Government awards £100m for region's public sector buildings to decarbonised
Hospitals, police stations, leisure centres and other municipal buildings in the Black Country and Staffordshire will be made more energy efficient to help the UK reduce its carbon footprint.
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy invited public sector organisations to apply for for funding for energy inefficient buildings to be decarbonised.
A Government spokesman said: "The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme scheme is designed to help upgrade heating systems in public buildings, to ones often powered by cleaner, cheaper and renewable energy.
"This will help reduce fossil fuels as well as making public buildings more comfortable and cheaper to warm. This is important as we know most of the buildings in the public sector still rely on burning fossil fuels for heating, hot water and catering."
New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton, St Leonard's Primary School, Stafford, Darlaston Leisure Centre, Walsall and Cheslyn Hay Academy all successfully applied for a slice of £653 million Government funding.
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust was given £32,948,518 to upgrade New Cross Hospital. Gas boilers will be replaced with air source heat pumps in nine buildings and the installation of LED lighting, heating pipework insulation, double glazing, plate heat exchangers and steam trap replacements. New Cross Hospital will also get new waste to energy incinerators and new energy management systems.
Darlaston Leisure Centre is Walsall Council's largest carbon emitting building and the Government pledged £2,600,727 for its energy renovation. Out of date boilers will be replaced with air source heat pumps, and solar panels will be installed to provide renewable energy. A new building energy management system, new heating pipework insulation, LED lighting and new fans will be installed.
Staffordshire County Council was awarded £795,725 for air source heat pumps and solar panels at St Leonard’s Primary School, Stafford. Energy efficiency will be improved through a building energy management system, LED lighting, double glazing, roof insulation, cavity wall insulation and pipework insulation.
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust received £35,600,137 to improve energy efficiency at Sutton Coldfield's Good Hope Hospital, Heartlands and Queen Elizabeth Hospitals, Birmingham and Solihull Hospital which will see solar panels, electric heating among other improved energy saving infrastructure.
Windsor Academy Trust was given £519,042 to replace Cheslyn Hay Academy's gas-fired heating system with an air source heat pump. Double glazed windows will also be installed to improve the energy efficiency of the academy.
For more information about the Government Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme and how to apply visit https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/public-sector-decarbonisation-scheme.
