'It’s an inspiring scheme with significant positive benefits' - Wolverhampton NHS solar farm wins major national award

The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust’s solar farm - 15,000 solar panels built on a former landfill site covering the equivalent of 22 football pitches - now provides New Cross Hospital with its own self-generated renewable energy for around 288 days a year, or roughly three-quarters of its annual electricity demand.

The facility, which opened in April 2024, has been named Best Sustainability Project at the Government Commercial Function (GCF) Awards. More than 230 applications were submitted to the Cabinet Office seeking recognition.

The ceremony was hosted by UK Government Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Forzani alongside Baroness Floella Benjamin.

Stew Watson, Group Director of Estates Development, and Tom Butler, Head of Estates Management, attended the event at the Churchill State Rooms on Parliament Street, London, to receive the award.

He said: “Tom and I were both surprised and delighted when they announced our victory and were honoured to accept this national award on behalf of the Trust.

“For those of you of a certain age, the award was handed to us ‘through the round window’ from the Baroness, who I must say has not lost any of the enthusiasm and passion she showed in her earlier days of ‘Play School.'

“The Trust could not have achieved this without the excellent support of such a fine group of technical specialists and industry professionals – to which we thank you all for aiding the Trust throughout our collective journey over the last five years.”

The solar farm has enabled the Trust to reduce its reliance on the national grid and protect itself from rising electricity prices, while significantly lowering carbon emissions. The project is expected to save an estimated 1,583 tonnes of CO₂e each year, and will save the Trust around £15-20 million over the next 20 years.

Jon Gwynn, Carbon and Energy Fund Project Manager, said: “The solar project with The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust is a fantastic demonstration of what the NHS can achieve when it commits to real, practical decarbonisation.

"It’s an inspiring scheme with significant positive benefits for the Trust, patients, and the wider community. We’re incredibly proud to have worked closely with the Trust to deliver such an important and impactful project.”

Kalpesh Patel, Building Services Associate Director at Cundall, added: “Through a collaborative approach from the Trust and Trust partners this project was able to be a success. The leadership provided great guidance and held themselves and the wider team accountable for contributing to the success of the project.”

Phil Mottershead, Project Development Director at Vital Energi, said: “Congratulations to everyone at the Trust on their success at the GCF awards. We are pleased to be contributing to helping the Trust reach their sustainability goals.

"The work at Wolverhampton is a great example of our commitment to supporting the Trust's vision for a greener and more sustainable future.

"This project not only showcases innovation but also the positive impact we can achieve together. Well done to the entire team."