£100 million funding from Great British Energy for NHS trusts to install solar panels and battery storage systems
Today (21 March 2025) the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has announced around £180 million of funding from Great British Energy, aimed at powering community clean energy projects across the UK. This is the first major investment under Great British Energy’s Local Power Plan, which is set to deliver clean energy projects nationwide.
One of the highlights of this investment is a £100 million for NHS trusts to install solar panels and battery storage systems. These projects are not only set to slash energy bills but also deliver exceptional value for taxpayers—helping to make the NHS more energy-efficient and resilient.
Earlier this year we invited trusts to apply for solar panel funding projects deliverable within the 2025/26 financial year, and we were pleased to see many trusts ready to support this exciting initiative, a massive thanks to them for working hard in a tight timeframe. The prioritisation process ensured funding was allocated to projects with high delivery confidence, economic and environmental impact.
We’re thrilled to announce that this funding will be spread across 132 projects at 78 NHS trusts in England, covering around 200 sites. It marks a historic milestone as the first dedicated solar investment programme for the NHS, though thanks to the relentless efforts of NHS teams nationwide, energy efficiency projects have already been underway for years, yielding significant savings.
Take Hull University Teaching Hospital as an example. Their 11,000 solar panels, saved the trust an astonishing £230,000 per month last summer, generating over 4.2 million kilowatt-hours annually—enough to power 1,400 UK homes for a year.
Another standout project comes from Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust. Their solar photovoltaic canopy over the car park at Wharfedale Hospital provides sustainable power to the hospital, reducing its reliance on conventional energy sources. Last year, the 617 solar panels saved the trust over £120,000 in electricity costs.
And then there’s the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, home to the UK’s first net-zero inpatient hospital. The Trafford Hospital, birthplace of the NHS, is not just a leap for the trust, but a symbolic step forward for the entire healthcare system. This project is set to reduce Trafford’s carbon emissions by 92% by 2040, while saving up to £100,000 a year on energy costs.
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust’s solar farm, which is built on a former landfill site the size of 22 football pitches, is expected to power the entire hospital site with self-generated renewable energy for around 288 days a year, delivering £15-20 million in savings over the next two decades.
I am sure you will agree that progress so far has been astonishing. Just five years ago, NHS on-site renewable energy production was a modest 5,700 MWh. Today, that number has tripled, equivalent to the energy required to power around 7,000 homes for a year.
Thanks to this new funding, we’re set to expand solar generation by over 300% across the NHS—slashing millions of pounds from energy bills.
Once in place these new solar panel projects are projected to save the NHS a further £8.6 million every year, totalling up to £260 million over their lifetime. That’s a massive leap towards a more sustainable, cost-efficient NHS, with a cleaner, greener future for all.
To find out more about the projects that have been awarded funding you can visit the GOV.UK website. We are looking forward to bringing you more updates as these exciting new projects begin to take shape.
Chris Gormley
Chris Gormley is currently the Acting Chief Sustainability Officer of the NHS, responsible for its commitment to deliver a world-class net zero emission health service.
Previously, as Director of Policy, he was responsible for developing and delivering the Health and Care Act 2022 and negotiating the NHS’s annual mandate with government.
Prior to joining the NHS, Chris spent 12 years working in government on climate and energy policy, including development of renewables incentives, removing barriers to deployment, implementing emissions trading legislation and oversight of carbon budgets under the UK Climate Change Act.
Fiona Daly
As the National Deputy Director of Estates for NHS England, Fiona is tasked with leading the strategies, policies and national programmes to decarbonise of the NHS Estate, improve operational resilience and patient experience, and develop the 100,000 strong Estates and Facilities Workforce; driving innovation, engagement and delivery, and providing healthcare organisations with critical support they need to implement their plans.
Fiona has 17 years’ experience of working in Estates and Facilities Management and is passionate about reducing health and social inequalities, establishing an estate that supports the transition to sustainable models of care throughout the NHS. She is focused on driving the delivery of a healthy, resilient healthcare estate; tackling organisational leadership, investment in the built environment and developing the skills and capacity of the current and future NHS workforce. In 2018 she was made an honorary professor at University College London (UCL) for her contribution in supporting the development of students in her field.