Royal Devon Hospital secures £1.9m funding for major sustainable energy upgrade in Exeter

The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has been awarded almost £2 million in government funding to help power its Exeter hospital more sustainably.

A grant of £1,994,000 will fund the installation of a large-scale Battery Electric Storage System (BESS) at the trust’s Wonford site – a major step in reducing energy costs and cutting carbon emissions.

The new system will store excess electricity generated at times of low demand and release it when demand is higher, helping the hospital to rely less on carbon-intensive power from the grid. 

The trust says this will improve energy efficiency, strengthen energy security and generate long-term savings that can be reinvested directly into patient care.

The funding forms part of a national £74 million government programme supporting clean energy upgrades across the public sector. 

READ NEXT: Popular riverside Exeter restaurant closes after kitchen fire

In total, 82 NHS trusts, eight military sites and one prison are sharing the investment to adopt greener technologies and improve energy efficiency.

For Royal Devon, which runs the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital and community services across the region, the project represents the latest stage of its drive towards Net Zero.

Chris Tidman, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Sustainability Lead at Royal Devon, said: “This investment in large-scale Battery Electric Storage is another important step on our journey to Net Zero.”

“It will continue improving the long term sustainability of our services – accelerating our shift to clean energy, reducing our carbon footprint and creating vital financial savings that we can reinvest into frontline patient care.”

The trust has already introduced a range of environmental initiatives under its Green Plan. 

These include expanding solar energy generation, switching to LED lighting, growing its electric vehicle fleet and developing greener, digitally-enabled models of care.

Programmes such as virtual wards and the trust’s “Digital by Default” strategy have helped reduce paper use and associated emissions, while also improving efficiency for staff and patients.

Nationally, more than £9 million of the funding package is being delivered in partnership with Great British Energy to support batteries and solar panels, building on a £255 million investment in public sector solar power last year.

Energy Consumers Minister Martin McCluskey said the scheme would deliver direct benefits for public services. 

“More money will go straight to frontline services as hospitals, prisons and military sites benefit from cheaper bills and cutting-edge green technology,” he said.

“This is our clean power mission in action – cutting bills, investing in public services and providing energy security for our country.”

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting added: “With lower bills for hospitals, better value for money, and a cleaner, more efficient NHS, everybody wins.” 

“Every penny of these savings will be redirected straight back into frontline care and delivering NHS patients, staff and the whole country can be proud of again.

“This investment will help us build an NHS fit for the future.”

Although the new battery system will be installed at the Wonford hospital in Exeter, the Trust says the benefits will be felt across all Royal Devon sites, as reduced energy costs free up resources for wider services.

The project strengthens Exeter’s role at the forefront of sustainable healthcare in the South West, and is expected to play a key part in helping Royal Devon meet its long-term environmental targets while protecting vital NHS budgets.

Installation work on the Battery Electric Storage System is expected to begin later this year.